CLEAN ENERGY
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
For over 30 years, SEI has focused our non-profit education and training efforts globally to ensure a highly trained global clean energy workforce. Ever since earliest days of what we know today as the solar industry, SEI has been a leader in providing technical training for individual solar professionals and employers alike aligned with the jobs and careers found in our growing industry.
The SEI 360 Degree Workforce Development Philosophy
As the solar industry grows, matures, and workforce development needs change, we have a 360 degree approach of continuous improvement of our programs of study and curriculum offerings that include alignment with job task analyses set forth from certification entities like NABCEP, but also through direct feedback from the employer network we serve. We also draw upon the feedback of over 40 instructors and curriculum developers who are also actively working in the solar industry to help define the learning objectives for our students.
The SEI Solar Training Philosophy
Our training philosophy has always been that we are not only preparing our students for the job that they have on day one, but the jobs they may have throughout their entire career in the solar industry. We have always emphasized that training that leads to certification and other credentials is all part of the journey of professional development and not a destination.
Solar Training for Job Site Ready Graduates
We work closely with industry to take employer feedback listening to their desired skills and aptitudes for job candidates so we can offer a “job site ready” graduate from our training program. This job site ready approach allows us to scale our program of study to set our students and alumni on a life long learning trajectory from our entry level offerings all the way through our highly technical advanced continuing education offerings.
By working closely with employers to tailor individual training programs to get competent people on the ground working on day one with a hunger for continuous learning as their career evolves. Through creative employer partnerships, we strive to tailor the immediate needs of the employer, but also with the long view of the training needs of the individual solar professional.
We strive to empower both employers and the individual solar professional with the knowledge they will need to have to be successful in solar sales, design and installation, or operations and maintenance of residential to utility scale systems.
Since the start of our non-profit operations, SEI has played a leadership role in many local, state, national, and international workforce development initiatives. Here are some highlights:
SEI’s History of Clean Energy Workforce Development Projects
Solar Ready Colorado
This workforce development program through the State of Colorado Department of Labor targeted underserved populations of people to give them the training and employer connections to enter the growing Colorado Solar industry. As part of this program, SEI created a state wide employer network with over a dozen employers and culminated in a career fair where graduates had the opportunity to meet face to face with employers for mock interviews and informational conversations that lead to many of the graduates landing positions.
Solar Ready Vets
SEI was selected by the Department of Energy to help lead the curriculum development, training, and mobile labs that were deployed to multiple military installations all over the United States to provide transitioning military personal with a high level of technical training. As part of this program SEI also integrated interview opportunities with many of the largest solar employers in the industry. The majority of graduates were offered positions with these employers to land a career after they separated from their military service.
Solar Instructor Training Network
SEI was selected by the Department of Energy to play a regional leadership role of creating a train-the-trainer model to provide insight to our successes as a technical training school to community colleges throughout the Rocky Mountain region and surrounding states.
As part of this effort, SEI’s curriculum was licensed and lab facility was used as a demonstration site as an example successful hands-on lab operation. Adjunct professors, department chairs, and other trade school and higher education professionals from also went through a full program of study to see first hand the full student experience.
Colorado Renewable Energy Professionals Academy /
Solar Professionals Certificate Program
This workforce development program through the State of Colorado targeted individuals with transferable technical skill sets and past employment history to provide a long format certificate training level of education with over 250 contact hours of training. 70 individuals graduated from the program, many of whom landed entry and mid level careers in the solar industry.
Becas Humanos South America / Chile
This international workforce development program trained 150 graduates who went on to work with their national government for utility scale solar integration projects throughout the country.
Allied Solar Training Partners
The Bottom Line…
SEI stands ready to lead the global clean energy workforce development effort today and into the future. With over 80,000 students and alumni worldwide, we are prepared to lead and collaborate on any clean energy workforce development initiative. If you envision a world powered by renewable energy, we are here to serve YOU!