For over 20 years, SEI’s Work-Trade Program has enabled people from around the world to hone their renewable energy technology skills and improve their capabilities while helping to strengthen and grow SEI. In fact, the majority of our current staff were once work-traders!

Program Overview:

CURRENT WORK-TRADE POSITIONS:

  • Summer Helper position
    This person will work at SEI’s PV lab facility in Paonia, Colorado. More than one person will be hired, as coverage is needed from April through mid-October. The job entails assisting the Paonia office manager. Duties can be extremely varied. They include taking care of the drink station for lab students, running errands, data entry, assisting with potluck set-up, weeding and trash pick-up, creating and laminating signs, making name tags, making Records of Completion for students, helping with bicycle rental, etc.
    While working for SEI in Paonia you will be in close proximity to SEI’s PV systems, and to SEI’s lab students, instructors and staff. Be warned that this job does NOT involve working with the PV systems, but you will have a chance to talk PV and see PV systems close up.
    Having your own vehicle and your own computer is a plus. The ability to speak Spanish also a plus.

SEI offers its Work-Traders a credit equivalent to $15/ hour for each hour worked. You can trade up to 100% of the tuition of each class. We strive to have all of our work-traders complete their work portion before taking any workshops, so most work-traders work in the spring or early summer and then complete their workshops after that.

Eligibility Requirements:

To be eligible to become an SEI work-trader you must:

  1. Possess the skills for a position we seek to be filled. Remember, this is not an internship; it is a work-trade agreement in which we match our needs to your existing skills. Even so – you’ll probably end up learning a lot just by working with us! Please review our Work-Trade Policies Document below for more information.
  2. You must download an application and email it to our Work Trade Coordinator, Breccia Wilson (contact info listed below)
  3. Provide the contact information for (2) references – past employers, supervisors, professors, etc. (no family members please).
  4. Be available for a phone or in-person interview.
  5. Desired applicants are highly self-motivated, consistently willing to take initiative, require very little supervision, and are comfortable working hard in non-traditional, fun, social, and serious work environments.

Work-Trade Policies (download PDF)

Work-Trade Application Form (download and fill out Word doc)

Application Deadlines:

Applications are being accepted on on-going basis (when position openings are actively posted). Once a position has been filled we will remove it from the website. Please sign up for SEI’s e newsletter for the most up to date information on updates to our work-trade program and all of our great offerings, alumni, and renewable energy news.

Please email [email protected] with any questions!