Job Training

On Thursday, December 17th GLA had our annual Volunteer Appreciation Party. Over 120 volunteers, homeowners, board members, and staff gathered in the GLA warehouse to celebrate the amazing work we’ve done this year.

As the new year approaches, on behalf of everyone at GRID Alternatives Central Valley, we thank all who helped make 2015 a successful year. Our office has experienced enormous growth over the year, as we added 12 new members to help take on the new tasks, as we continue to expand our territory within the Central Valley.

As a job trainee through WESTCARE, Kenneth Mull was not sure what to expect when he was invited to attend a presentation for free training in solar installation. The presentation offered opportunities to gain employment in the solar industry through free hands on training. Deciding to give GRID Alternatives a chance, he soon found himself on a rooftop in the Central Valley installing his first solar system. Finding joy and passion in the work that he was doing, he quickly realized that he could make a career out of installing solar.

Born and raised in the Central Valley, Michael Sanchez has been striving to find a way to support his family. Enrolling in a photovoltaic class with Proteus Inc., a local job training organization, Michael stated, “I was headed down the wrong road and then found Proteus, which inspired me to switch gears and do better for myself. Mr. Rick Gonzalez’s passion for teaching about photovoltaics helped solidify my interest working within the solar industry.”

My name is Karelia Tercero. This is a short story about how I became the first female solar technician for GRID Alternatives in Nicaragua.

Born and raised in Madera, Alan Castillo learned about GRID through the job training organization, Proteus Inc. Eager to learn, Alan volunteered with his classmates during the summer of 2015.

The success stories from the Solar Job Fair continue to trickle in as many of our volunteers are excited to share their good news about their new job.

On a dark and chilly Saturday morning 120 volunteers and community supporters devoted their time helping five families receive solar on their homes in Biola, California.

See how you can break into the solar job market by volunteering with GRID.

The counties that the Rosebud Sioux reservation encompasses are among the poorest in the nation, with unemployment rates as high as 83 percent, and as much as three quarters of the employed population still living under the poverty line. Winter is always the worst, with frigid temperatures, ice and snow limiting already-scarce work opportunities, and sending electricity bills skyrocketing. This year, though, a beacon of hope for some relief is taking shape in the form of a solar array on the home of tribal member Karen Spotted Tail.