Work-Trade Programs

For the last 19 years, SEI's Work-Trade Program has enabled people from around the world to hone their skills and improve their capabilities while helping to strengthen and grow SEI. In fact, the majority of our current staff were once work-traders!

If you're interested in SEI's Work-Trade Program, please review this page and download our Work-Trade Policies and Application forms. Check out the 'FAQ' section for common questions too. Thanks for your interest, and we look forward to hearing from you.

Work-Trade Policies (download PDF)

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

Application Deadlines:

We are now accepting applications for 2010 Work-Trade positions. Please visit SEI's Work-Trade Positions for 2010 to view position openings. You must choose the position(s) for which you would like to apply and e-mail the SEI Work-Trade application and your resume to Soozie Lindbloom, SEI's Work-Trade Coordinator. We will accept applications until the positions are filled. We will also post which positions are filled, so please only apply for positions that are still open.

Program Overview:

SEI offers its work-traders a day-for-day trade agreement. One eight-hour day of work is traded for one day in a SEI  workshop. We require that all work-traders take eight weeks of workshops and, therefore, the work requirement is eight weeks as well - so our work-traders can expect to commit themselves to 16 weeks of work and workshops. 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. If a work-trader chooses to take more than eight weeks of workshops, then he/she must pay full price for those extra workshops.

We trade 100% of total tuition in exchange for work, but all work-traders must put 25% of the total tuition down to reserve their space in the workshops. Here's how it works: If you are accepted into SEI’s Work-Trade program, you must let the WT Coordinator know which workshops you would like to take (remember, we ask that all WT’ers complete the work portion before taking any workshops). Once we confirm that you are registered in the workshops, we require you to put down 25% of the total cost to hold your place (this payment is expected by the first week of your work-trade start date). After you complete and pass each workshop, you will be refunded 25% of that workshop cost. By the time you’ve completed all of your workshops, your entire down payment will have been refunded to you. With that said, your payment will not be refunded if you cancel a workshop for some reason. All SEI cancellation policies apply to work-traders.

Eligibility Requirements:

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

1. Take a MINIMUM of eight weeks of our Renewable Energy Education Program (REEP) workshops. For the purposes of the Work-Trade Program, two weekend workshops equals one week. One online course equals one week as well.

2. Possess the skills for which we are looking. To view our needs, please read over our 2010 work trade positions and only apply if your skills match our needs. 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!

3. WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

4. Provide the contact information for (2) references - past employers, supervisors, professors, etc. (no family members please).

5. Be available for a phone or in-person interview.

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.