On September 9, 2025, family, friends, employers, and community partners filled GRID Alternatives Inland Empire’s Clean Tech Training Center (CTTC) for a milestone that felt both personal and regional. Ten trainees wrapped IBT 200under the Interstate Renewable Energy Council’s Training Provider Accreditation (IREC), the first class to do so at the CTTC. The achievement landed with pride because the win belonged to the graduates and to the Inland Empire they are ready to serve. Earlier this summer GRID IE shared the news that on August 14, 2025, IBT 200 officially earned IREC Training Provider Accreditation, one of the most respected marks of quality in the clean energy industry. That recognition validates curriculum, safety, instructor expertise, and student outcomes. It also gives this cohort a clear advantage around job readiness as they step into the field.
Cindy Corrales, Workforce Development Director
Workforce Development Director Cindy Corrales opened with the kind of specificity that turns applause into understanding. She described the CTTC as “a space where people can practice, make mistakes, learn, and grow,” a place intentionally built for hands-on learning and real progress. IBT 200 is a full-time, immersive program spanning 200 hours across classroom, warehouse, lab, and real-world rooftops, with OSHA-10 and American Red Cross First Aid and CPR training built in. Then she explained the design choice at the heart of the program. “IBT 200 is a paid job training program where we do not expect folks to be experts on day one. GRID’s workforce programs are designed to build people up, wherever they are in life, and share in the power of what it means to show up and put in your best effort for yourself and your team.”
The cohort’s output told its own story. Together, they helped install more than ten solar electric systems for local clients, over sixty kilowatts DC in new capacity. Over twenty years, those projects are expected to save families over four hundred thousand dollars on utility bills and offset roughly one thousand tons of greenhouse gases, the equivalent of planting twenty-four thousand trees.
Before closing, Cindy thanked the partners who make this pathway possible, from Riverside County Workforce Development Agency support through the City’s Eastside Climate Collaborative and Transformative Climate Communities funding that enables extended training, to the Thrive Inland SoCal Catalyst Grant through IEGOthat allows GRID IE to offer IBT 200 at no cost to participants. Cindy also thanked the funders whose continued investment strengthens IBT 200 and the CTTC, including U.S. Bank, Citizens Business Bank, Edison International, Kaiser Permanente, Pacific Premier Bank (now Columbia Bank), Bank of America, Honda, and The James Irvine Foundation.
Jaime Alonso, Executive Director
Executive Director Jaime Alonso widened the lens to the long arc of the program. GRID IE began in 2011 with a volunteer model that was grassroots and hands-on. It worked for some, and it opened doors, but over time, the team realized that unpaid pathways could also leave people behind. “That realization led us to build something more intentional. IBT 200 is a structured, paid training program that does not just teach solar installation. It invests in people. It removes financial barriers, honors the time and labor of our trainees, and creates a more equitable pathway into the clean energy workforce.” The rigor is real, and it starts with consistency. “Showing up on time, staying on top of the daily schedule, and being consistent. These are the habits that build trust and reliability in any workplace.” He asked the graduates to reflect on what the past five weeks had revealed about their limits, teamwork, and resilience. The point was not to find quick answers. The point was to keep going. “The learning does not stop here.” Then he tied the work to impact that lasts well beyond a single project. “The solar installations you have worked on will power homes and community buildings for decades. You helped make that possible. You should feel proud.”
From Left to Right: Melissa Williams, Project Coordinator for the City of Riverside, Colin Markovich, Senior District Representative for Senator Sabrina Cervantes, Toni Rosales, Field Representative for California Assemblywoman Leticia Castillo, and Melanie Bruns, Representing Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes.
From the City of Riverside, the message was equally clear. Representing Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes, Melanie Bruns thanked the graduating class and connected their training to a wider arc of neighborhood change. “What you are doing, you are a part of that transformation, that lasting impact of what change is going to look like for the next twenty years.” On behalf of City leaders she closed with a simple affirmation. “We congratulate you and we appreciate you.”
The celebration also welcomed additional public officials who underscored the significance of the day. Colin Markovich, Senior District Representative for Senator Sabrina Cervantes, presented certificates of recognition to the graduates for completing IBT 200 and presented a certificate to Executive Director Jaime Alonso and Workforce Development Director Cindy Corrales, recognizing GRID IE’s IREC accreditation for IBT 200. Toni Rosales, Field Representative for California Assemblywoman Leticia Castillo, presented certificates of recognition to the graduates for completing IBT 200. Melissa Williams, Project Coordinator for the City of Riverside, attended on behalf of the TCC Riverside grant, reinforcing the partnership that helps make this pathway possible.
From Left to Right: Neil Warren, Senior Solar Installation Training Officer, Fantasia Sanchez, IBT 200 Graduate, and Jailene Vera, Solar Trainer and Junior Installation Supervisor
The graduates themselves brought the day back to earth. “It was good, a lot of things to hear and learn,”said Semaj, who left the celebration intent on applying for installer roles and tracking future openings and opportunities with GRID IE. Fantasia spoke about confidence, gratitude, and being seen by funders and the community. “I really do appreciate this program and the foundations that fund programs like this. I wanted to let them know that I am an investment, and I am investing in myself by being here,” she said, adding that she is pursuing additional carpentry skills to enhance her growing skill set and continue building hands-on experience. “As long as I am learning something, it is a big gain for me.”
If accreditation sounds technical, the ceremony made it human. The IREC announcement put it in plain terms. Programs must demonstrate the strength of their curriculum, showcase instructor expertise, track and report student success, and ensure that training remains aligned with industry needs. The process ensures that programs like IBT 200 are not just strong at one time, but continue to improve and stay relevant as the industry grows. The applause came not only for GRID IE and the CTTC, but for what the milestone means for families and careers. The message to the graduates was simple. You have made history, and your next steps matter.
IBT 200 Graduates, from Left to Right: Josiah Pulliam, Richard Linares, Semaj Jones, Kai Simpson, Bryce Hall, Donaven West, Ana Villa, Tyler Baughman, and Fantasia Sanchez.
The graduates left with new credentials, new momentum, and a community that expects to see them on rooftops across the Inland Empire very soon.