(SACRAMENTO, CA) - - The Sacramento Municipal Utility District is paying people to get training and a certificate in solar photovoltaic installation.
SMUD has partnered with Oakland-based training company GRID
Alternatives to train community members and underserved communities in its
Energy Career Pathways program, which provides about two weeks of remote
training online and two weeks of training in the field, said Lindsay
VanLaningham, spokeswoman for SMUD.
“Clean energy careers are in high demand,” SMUD CEO Paul Lau
said in a news release. “As we transition to a decarbonized economy, we will
rely on clean energy jobs and a skilled workforce to help us reach our zero
carbon by 2030 goals.”
The training program pays students a $200 stipend for
completing the virtual course, and an additional $800 for completing the
hands-on training course. The graduates won’t work for SMUD. Rather, they can
work for solar companies.
The enrollment is ongoing, with groups limited to about
eight people at a time going through field training due to Covid-19 distancing,
VanLaningham said.
Under the program, 100 trainees will complete the
distance-learning course, with up to 60 trainees selected to get the field
training this year.
The training is funded as part of SMUD’s Sustainable
Communities Initiative, which prioritizes opportunity and equity for the SMUD
region, which is all of Sacramento County. The Sustainable Communities Initiative
is meant to bring education, workforce development and renewable energy to
underserved communities in Sacramento County.
“A large part of our plan is to decarbonize in an equitable
way, and this program helps to provide equity in our communities,” Lau said
“These are good paying jobs. The industry is growing
exponentially, so there are a lot of opportunities,” VanLaningham said. “This
can get you trained and working in four weeks.”
The training includes solar panel installation, battery
storage and electric vehicle charger installation training modules.
