To celebrate Solar Education Week, we want to highlight what makes Solar Works DC such an innovative approach to connecting individuals to jobs in the solar industry. When the Solar Works DC trainees are not jotting down notes at the DC Infrastructure Academy space, you can find them out in the field alongside GRID staff installing solar, visiting a solar installation site, or meeting employers at a job fair. GRID Mid-Atlantic is halfway through its second cohort of the 12-week Solar Works DC program, and the trainees have already installed over five systems.
Drew first got interested in solar because his stepfather used to work for a solar company. Coming from a background of technical work, construction, and utilities, Drew was excited to take his experience to a new level with Solar Works DC, an opportunity he found through Craigslist.
“It’s introducing me to a whole lot of different things, things that I never thought I would expose myself to,” says Drew of his first few weeks. He likes the fact that he can take things he learned in a classroom, and implement them out on a roof.
And for others in the cohort, it’s a new field entirely. Thomasena, 19, signed up because she has always been interested in sustainability. Being homeschooled, she is used to unique kinds of education. “The program has been great so far. It’s really interesting and I like it a lot,” she says.
A career in solar doesn’t require any formal degrees to earn a livable wage. According to The Solar Foundation, 93% of solar installation companies do not require a bachelor degree for new hires. Of our Fall cohort that graduated in December, fifty percent already have jobs in a solar or related industry, thanks to the experience they received through Solar Works DC.
For many in this program, including Drew, it’s a step towards a new career path. “It’s been a great experience, and it’s getting better day by day and week by week. I hope the journey continues.”