Local YouthBuild programs nationwide selected to train opportunity youth for careers in energy infrastructure as they earn certified Solar Panel Installer credentials. Photo courtesy of STEP-UP Solar and YouthBuild Lake County (North Chicago, IL).
Building on the success of its solar installation training and certification pilot, YouthBuild Global is launching its Solar Jobs Pathway Initiative in 17 local YouthBuild programs across the United States. This expansion will provide more than 200 opportunity youth with the skills and credentials needed to pursue careers in solar installation and energy infrastructure.
As the demand for domestic energy production continues to rise, the need for skilled workers in solar panel installation remains high. This YouthBuild career pathway will provide hands-on training in solar installation while enabling participants to earn employer-recognized credentials. By scaling this offering through generous funding from Invest in Our Future, YouthBuild Global aims to bridge the skills gap and create pathways to family-sustaining employment for opportunity youth—young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 who are neither in school nor employed.
The seventeen YouthBuild programs selected for this pathway are:
American YouthWorks’ YouthBuild Austin (Texas)
YouthBuild St. Paul Westside (Minnesota)
CLC, Inc. YouthBuild Fort Worth (Texas)*
CYDI YouthBuild (Chicago, Illinois)
YouthBuild Rockford (Illinois)
Compton YouthBuild (California)
Georgia Building Trades Academy YouthBuild (Atlanta, Georgia)
Isles YouthBuild (Trenton, New Jersey)
Job Point’s YouthBuild (Columbia, Missouri)
YouthBuild Greater Stark County (Canton, Ohio)
Operation Fresh Start YouthBuild (Madison, Wisconsin)
YouthBuild Bridgeport (Connecticut)
YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School (Pennsylvania)
YouthBuild Waukegan (Illinois)
YouthBuild Just A Start (Cambridge, Massachusetts)*
YouthBuild Lake County (North Chicago, Illinois)*
YouthBuild Newark (New Jersey)
The training program’s proof of concept was demonstrated by three local programs (denoted with an asterisk above) as part of last year’s pilot. As a core element of the YouthBuild model, opportunity youth—young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 who are neither in school nor employed—learn job skills in construction and other high-demand employment sectors. Last year, to recognize this experience and remove any redundancies found in conventional curricula, YouthBuild Global’s Strategic Partnerships team worked with partners Unirac, STEP-UP Solar, and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) to develop and implement a curriculum specifically for YouthBuild students and graduates.
The resulting credentials are specifically designed for opportunity youth who already have experience in construction and other skills training, streamlining the certification process and directly responding to the skills gap. The initial proof of concept was supported by the RBC Foundation USA and Bank of America Charitable Foundation.
The expansion will provide critical resources, including:
- Technical assistance, in-kind resources, and subgrants to build solar training labs, complete certification training and deliver job skills training;
- Resources to help YouthBuild programs engage with postsecondary institutions, industry organizations, and employer partners like those at Freedom Forever, who are working closely with YouthBuild Global to develop YouthBuild’s workforce talent;
- A community of practice where program staff and participants can identify barriers to solar workforce entry, address challenges related to workforce retention, and support placement in solar installation jobs; and
- Learning opportunities and industry convenings for YouthBuild program leaders and construction trainers to exchange best practices in solar training and participate in industry conferences.
The Solar Jobs Pathway begins in April with the selected programs launching their first cohorts shortly thereafter.
For more information about the Solar Jobs Pathway Initiative or how to support the training program, contact partnerships@youthbuild.org.
