Born and raised in Las Vegas, Markell Johnson came to Fresno because of family members. Previously employed in the construction industry, he was looking for work in the Fresno area and heard about GRID Alternatives through our partnership with Workforce Connection.
Workforce Connection enrolled Markell in GRID’s Installation Basics Training (IBT) in March 2019 and from there it was a successful introduction into the solar industry. Soon after completing the IBT training he received and accepted a job offer on April 30, 2019 with Solar Maintenance Pros starting as a panel cleaner. Since that time, that he has been promoted five times and is currently a Lead Technician, installing and cleaning on both residential and commercial properties, sometimes traveling up to 150 miles for his job. He said that he enjoys working for this company and wants to be considered a valuable employee. Markell feels like everyone has each other backs.
He is grateful to GRID Alternatives for training him and opening doors into the solar industry and he credits Adrian Sanchez, his Installation Basics trainer for being very motivational and encouraging. He enjoys being in the solar industry and wants to continue in the field as his career and he hopes to always be part of the GRID family.
This is the first job that Markell has had since moving to Fresno and now has been able to get his own place. But solar is not the only thing that Markell enjoys, in his free time you can find him out on the football field, basketball court or running the bases on the baseball diamond. Markell even sees volunteering with GRID in his future.