Clean Energy Workforce Equity Program

Addressing climate change demands a rapid transition to a renewable energy-based economy nationally, which in turn requires building up a large-scale workforce with the capacity to execute this transition. In the past 15 years, GRID Alternatives has developed successful workforce development models that leverage our low-income solar installation programs to provide hands-on training for job seekers, while working with industry partners to create career pathways for those underrepresented in our energy system: women, people of color, indigenous tribal members and formerly incarcerated individuals. GRID seeks funding to scale our paid training programs and build out new renewable energy training offerings that create long-term energy savings for low-income households, including a new portfolio of battery storage and electric vehicle charger installations on single-family and multi-family affordable housing, while providing community members with hands-on skill-building and connections to job opportunities in the growing renewable energy industry.

GRID is working to ensure that skilled jobs in the renewable energy industry are made accessible to underrepresented communities, while helping our industry partners to tap into under-recruited talent pools and develop hiring practices that are inclusive and equitable. As the country undergoes a massive transition to a low-carbon economy in the coming decades, the industry will need to quickly build up a skilled, diverse workforce prepared to support this transition. 

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, jobs in the solar industry were expected to grow 105 percent by 2026 (Huffington Post, 2019). These jobs present low barriers to entry, with 50% of current solar workers attaining no more than a high school diploma. Clean energy wages are also more equitable; workers at lower ends of the income spectrum can earn $5-10 more per hour than comparable jobs (Brookings Institute, 2019). 

Previous experience is the most important requirement for clean energy jobs, and 82% of employers have identified difficulties hiring for open positions (Solar Foundation, 2019). GRID has played a key role as a recognized training partner, working with our industry network to develop curricula that teach essential solar installation and related skills and connect our trainee network to employment opportunities.

GRID’s renewable energy training programs aim to provide the skills and hands-on experience needed for entry- to mid-level positions. These include paid cohort-based training through our 200-hour Solar Installation Basics Training (IBT-200) program, formal internships with GRID affiliate offices, and year-long, full-time fellowship positions through our National SolarCorps Program. Training programs typically incorporate hands-on project experience, skill-building workshops focused on solar installation and related skills, OSHA 10 construction safety certification, and "soft skills" and leadership development. We also provide open volunteer opportunities on individual renewable energy projects and classroom/lab and virtual workshops on various renewable energy topics for the general community. Our goal is to provide 1,000 people annually with hands-on training experiences, including at least 100 IBT-200 participants and 40 SolarCorps Fellows. 

GRID is focused on increasing racial and gender diversity in the energy workforce and targets recruitment of training participants from communities that are underrepresented in the energy industry. We also partner directly with local and national companies by providing recruitment opportunities from within our trainee network, education on hiring barriers for formerly incarcerated individuals and communities with other employment barriers, hosting local job fairs and networking opportunities, and presenting regularly at industry conferences and events. 

GRID’s renewable energy projects serve low-income homeowners and tenants of multi-family affordable housing, and 79% of our clients to date self-identified as people of color. Through a network of eight affiliate offices, we work in communities across California, Colorado and the Mid-Atlantic region; we have also installed solar for over 750 households on tribal reservations through partnerships with 45 Native Nations across the Southwest and Great Plains. Our workforce development programs support under- and unemployed job seekers who are underrepresented in renewable energy, including women, people of color, indigenous tribal members and formerly incarcerated individuals, with building the skills needed for industry jobs. To date, 65% of GRID training participants self-identified as people of color. 

GRID recruits participants for training programs through our national network of 250+ job training organizations, community colleges and public workforce development agencies, as well as marketing and outreach within the communities served by our renewable energy project portfolio. We regularly request training participant feedback through surveys and in-person contexts, both during training programs and following completion. We also regularly solicit feedback from other program stakeholders, including GRID affiliate staff, job training organization partners, and our network of industry partners, to inform curriculum development and planning. 

GRID’s solution provides under- and unemployed individuals from diverse backgrounds with access to several paid training programs that are free-of-charge and reflect the skills and experience required for entry- to mid-level renewable energy jobs. Our curriculum incorporates standards requested by industry partners and frequently includes professional development opportunities to support youth trainees and others new to or returning to the workforce with developing “soft skills” for successful career growth. Our programs have been successfully implemented in rural and urban communities nationally, supporting 1,930 people to date with finding jobs, and would be easily replicable within new target regions. 

Our solution team includes 140 full-time equivalent staff and 40 SolarCorps Fellows working in full-time, year-long positions at GRID.

GRID is committed to advancing an equity agenda within our organization and in the energy industry by examining and addressing systemic inequities; seeking out and amplifying the voices of the communities we serve; and expanding access to clean energy and career opportunities. We aim to reflect the communities we serve at all levels of the organization, and our focus areas for diversity work include: race, class, gender, sexual orientation, education level, veteran status, dis/ability, and those impacted by the criminal justice system. Currently, 61% of all GRID staff and 46% of senior leadership self-identify as people of color.

GRID is also committed to providing disability accommodations in our workplaces and on project sites. We have developed a training program handbook that specifies the physical abilities required to participate in renewable energy projects due to safety considerations. We can also accommodate language or auditory barriers by coordinating a translator on site.

Within the broader renewable energy industry, there is not a large training market for entry-level positions, and training is more focused on teaching advanced skills and preparation for formal certifications through the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP). Training also is primarily classroom-based and focused on technical knowledge versus hands-on skill attainment. We have also observed a drop in the number of community colleges offering hands-on solar education programs. Larger employers are beginning to develop internal programs for training, but we still see a significant need for experience-based training from small and local solar employers. This creates an equity issue related to access to qualified talent pools, as businesses owned by people of color and/or women on average tend to be smaller, with a lower average number of employees and total sales compared to white- and/or male-owned businesses. 

Thus, GRID is meeting a unique need within the industry by providing hands-on training on real projects, with a focus on training for entry-level positions and partnering with both national and local employers to meet their hiring needs. We have also leveraged partnerships with over 250 local job training organizations, community colleges and government workforce development programs to provide hands-on training for their students that complements their classroom-based instruction. Our focus on equity, inclusion and diversity also allows us to provide thought leadership on recruiting from underrepresented communities, including providing more targeted training for women to enter technical and construction-related careers.

GRID Alternatives’ training programs expose participants to several existing renewable energy technologies that are at the forefront of the country’s low-carbon energy transition, including solar photovoltaic systems, electric vehicle charging for single-family and multi-family residences, and battery storage backup paired with solar power. GRID installs these technologies for over 1,500 low-income households each year, incorporating hands-on training opportunities on every project. 

In regards to the delivery of solar installation training, GRID has primarily provided instruction directly in the field on active projects, with additional workshops offered on mock training roofs and other lab contexts. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, GRID has pivoted its training programs in some regions to incorporate online-only instruction or hybrid online- and in-person training for safety considerations. We typically use Zoom or another online meeting technology to deliver these trainings. While we don’t anticipate that online training will represent a significant portion of GRID’s training offerings after the pandemic, in the meantime we have been seeking funding to help reduce the financial barriers of some participants to accessing Wifi with adequate data capacity that is required to view online training videos and participate in webinars.

As previously mentioned, the technologies that GRID installs through its renewable energy project portfolio are deployed at a wide scale nationally and internationally, including residential and commercial-scale solar photovoltaic systems, EV chargers and battery-based storage that provides electricity during grid-tied power outages. GRID installs systems using industry-leading, warranty-backed equipment and includes a 10-year operations and maintenance guarantee as part of each installation we complete. We also use industry-standard software and mobile applications throughout the system sizing and design process as well as to monitor system energy usage and performance. 

GRID is working to address the problem that our fossil fuel-based extractive economy has increased economic and environmental inequities for low-income communities and communities of color, while limiting their access to the benefits and opportunities of renewable energy. It is clear that this system perpetuates racial and economic injustice, damages people’s health and contributes to a climate crisis that threatens humanity. 

GRID envisions a rapid, equitable transition to a world powered by renewable energy that benefits everyone. Our primary strategies include combining clean mobility, solar and storage solutions to maximize environmental and economic impact, and working in partnership with public agencies, industry leaders and community advocates to craft renewable energy policies and programs that benefit frontline communities. Additionally, by incorporating skilled training opportunities on our projects and prioritizing inclusive participant recruitment and employer partnerships, we champion equity in the renewable energy industry to make it a place where everyone belongs. 

In the short-term, GRID is creating immediate energy cost savings for low-income households through renewable energy deployment, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in communities traditionally impacted by the proximity of fossil fuel industries, and supporting job trainees with attaining tangible skills and securing employment in clean energy and related industries. To date, GRID has provided job trainees and volunteers with 248,000 hours of hands-on learning experience and supported 1,930 people with finding employment; through our renewable energy projects, GRID has installed 64.6 megawatts of clean power that will generate $435 million in energy cost savings for low-income families while preventing 1.1 million tons of GHG emissions.

As a result, in the long-term we anticipate that frontline communities will lead the world in achieving its renewable energy goals, and that everyone can have access to affordable renewable energy, including clean fuel for transportation. We also anticipate a renewable energy industry that models a diverse workforce, offering people of all backgrounds family-sustaining careers and entrepreneurship opportunities that bring wealth into their communities.

Within the next year, GRID plans to provide direct hands-on solar installation and integrated technology training relevant to renewable energy careers to at least 1,000 people, including expanding paid learning opportunities for participants in our Installation Basics Training (IBT), internship and SolarCorps Fellowship programs that result in job placements. These trainees will participate in the installation of 8 megawatts of renewable energy that will create immediate and long-term energy costs savings for over 1,000 low-income households. We also intend to complete formal accreditation of our IBT program, which would support its replicability across GRID’s network of affiliate offices as well as partner organizations nationally. 

Within a five-year period, our goal is to scale our formal training programs to directly serve at least 10,000 participants, with a particular focus on securing funding to significantly increase the number of paid training opportunities provided through our IBT, internship and SolarCorps Fellowship programs. Trainees will participate in the installation of over 5,000 renewable energy systems benefitting low-income homeowners and tenants of affordable housing. Additionally, through GRID’s policy and program development activities working in partnership with local, state and federal agencies and community advocates, over 1 million people nationally will gain access to the direct benefits of renewable energy.

Based on GRID’s experience in workforce development programming, trainees given the opportunity to develop skills in a field-based environment are more likely to achieve post-training job placements. However, lower-income trainees often face financial barriers to participation, due to the costs associated with transportation, childcare and time off from work, among other barriers. College students, entry-level workers and individuals coming out of incarceration may face additional challenges around familiarity with job readiness skills and/or require additional “case management” services that help to bridge the gap from training to the workforce. We continue to seek sustained funding to provide the critical support GRID needs to expand paid training opportunities for those with employment barriers, as well as to support our staff with building additional capacity to provide a deeper level of job search support for these trainees.

Additionally, as our nation grapples with the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis, GRID has seen increased demand for training from local job seekers, while we unfortunately have had to reduce in-person training opportunities due to safety reasons. As an organization we have needed to invest in maintaining staff capacity to fulfill the workforce development requirements of public renewable energy programs we manage, despite a temporary loss in fee-for-service funding due to our reduction of in-person programming. Flexible funding from philanthropic partners plays a critical role in supporting this work as we adapt our models to be responsive to the needs of our communities during and after the pandemic.

In order to help reduce financial and other barriers to participation, GRID has prioritized expanding paid training opportunities on our projects, including multi-week IBT cohort-based programs and internships with accelerated job preparation support, as well as our year-long SolarCorps Fellowship Program for emerging energy leaders. GRID is also exploring ways to partner with community-based organizations that provide robust case management to pair with our hands-on training opportunities. 

In order to continue to provide training opportunities in regions where in-person training is limited due to COVID-19 restrictions, GRID’s affiliate offices have quickly developed virtual and hybrid online/in-person training programs, continuing to offer these programs at no charge to participants. We have also worked with several of our long-time philanthropic partners to successfully cultivate new COVID-19 relief funding and direct additional funds to supporting workforce development, both for the current fiscal year and for the next several years, ensuring that we will be able to weather the uncertainty of the near-term and increase the number of paid training opportunities we provide as the economy recovers in the long-term. 

GRID regularly collects data on the training activities of participants, as well as racial and gender demographic information. For our SolarCorps Fellowship program, we also collect educational information for participants. Following the completion of training programs, we follow up through surveys to collect information about job placements. What is more difficult to collect on a consistent basis is pre- and post-training wage information, detailed educational information, and length of tenure in new employment. This is due to both limited capacity within our workforce development teams to collect this information consistently and a lack of response from previous trainees once they are no longer active with GRID. We would be eager to learn from others in the workforce development sector about strategies to improve the quality and consistency of job placement and wage growth data collection.

The solution team for the proposed programs is part of GRID Alternatives, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to make renewable energy technology and job training accessible to communities on the frontlines of environmental and economic justice. GRID is focused on three core activities: 1) project development and installation of solar, storage and EV charging systems for low-income homeowners and affordable housing providers, 2) workforce development programs provided for local job seekers and groups from partner organizations, and 3) developing and implementing low-income renewable energy policies and programs in partnership with local, state and federal agencies and community advocates.

Over the past 15 years, GRID has provided hands-on learning on renewable energy projects serving low-income homeowners and tenants of multi-family affordable housing and has become a recognized training partner for the solar industry. To date, GRID has provided 248,000 hours of hands-on renewable energy installation experience and supported 1,930 people with finding employment.

In 2015, GRID hired Erika Symmonds, currently Vice President of Workforce Development and Service Learning, to lead the organization’s job training efforts. Erika’s background spans the sectors of youth development, national service, green construction, and workforce development, and she co-founded Green City Force, a nonprofit that combines service and training to connect youth of low-income backgrounds to opportunities in the green economy. GRID has since developed several intensive training programs focused on supporting direct job placements, delivered by local teams of construction and workforce development staff based in eight regional affiliates, who represent and understand the unique training and hiring needs of their communities. 

GRID has also launched several initiatives aimed at increasing equity in the renewable energy workforce. These included Women in Solar; RISE (Realizing an Inclusive Solar Economy), with a focus on training people of color; and training for indigenous tribal members through our National Tribal Program that has worked with 40+ Native Nations. Several GRID affiliates have also created partnerships with local organizations to provide training and job search support for formerly incarcerated individuals. To date, 65% of GRID training participants have self-identified as people of color.

GRID has developed a national partnership network with over 250 job training organizations, community colleges and public workforce development agencies, who partner with GRID to provide real-world training opportunities on our projects that complement their classroom-based curriculum. We also partner directly with dozens of local and national renewable energy companies to recruit our training recipients for open positions, provide companies with education on hiring barriers for certain communities, coordinate and host local job fairs and networking opportunities, and make presentations on inclusive hiring practices and opportunities at industry conferences and events.

GRID Alternatives is a nonprofit organization operating through a combination of earned project revenue and philanthropic support from individuals, corporations, private foundations and government agencies. GRID works with low-income homeowners and multifamily affordable housing providers to help them access solar photovoltaic systems, electric vehicle chargers and battery backup systems as a way to reduce their utility bills and local environmental impact. GRID’s services include client outreach and education, project development, securing financing, system installation, and operations and maintenance. Individual households are not charged for these technologies and services, the costs of which are covered by state and local incentives and rebates as well as philanthropic support. For larger multifamily projects, GRID contracts with affordable housing organizations at competitive rates for the industry, with additional services provided free-of-charge for local residents such as job training and education on renewable energy.

GRID also incorporates workforce development across our project portfolio, providing intensive hands-on training for individual job seekers as well as groups from local workforce development organizations who partner with GRID to provide real-world training that complements their classroom-based curriculum. Individual trainees do not pay any fees for training; rather, GRID often provides trainees and interns with a stipend to help reduce the financial barriers to participating, as well as salaried year-long positions for SolarCorps Fellows. While job training groups are often sponsored by partner organizations through a modest fee-for-service arrangement, GRID relies on philanthropic support and grants to cover the majority of the costs of our workforce development programs. 

GRID’s programs and projects are funded through a combination of philanthropic donations and grants and earned revenue from government incentive and rebate programs, fee-for-service project contracts, and a third-party system ownership model we currently operate in partnership with Sunrun that allows us to leverage the federal tax credit for solar power systems. The workforce development programs under GRID’s model are primarily funded by philanthropic revenue, as well as fee-for-service contracts with workforce development organizations. GRID operates with a balanced budget that anticipates covering all expected expenses with projected revenue, and we are projecting positive net income for the current and next fiscal years despite challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The following revenue sources, specifically designated to support GRID’s workforce development programs, were received during the 2020 calendar year and are one-year contributions except where otherwise noted. 

• JPB Foundation - $9,000,000 grant for 2020-2023 national workforce development programs

• U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration - $2,388,759 grant for 2020-2024 reentering citizens training

• Sunrun - $1,000,000 fee-for-service job training contract

• California Community Reinvestment Grants - $620,075

• Bank of America Foundation - $400,000 grant

• Denver Urban Renewal Authority - $230,000 grant

• City of Sacramento - $217,524 grant

• Google Impact Challenge - $175,000 grant

• Job training organization fee-for-service contracts: $134,384

• Government agency job training fee-for-service contracts: $101,684

Estimated expenses for 2021 are conservative and projected to be covered by committed or very likely grants, philanthropic donations, and fee-for-service partnerships. GRID continues to seek additional philanthropic and grant funding in order to expand the number of paid training opportunities we can provide through our IBT, internship and SolarCorps programs, which are particularly impactful in supporting individuals with barriers to employment or with financial barriers to participating in a long-term training. Additional funding would also provide capacity building support for our workforce development and construction staff to participate in professional development to build their skills as trainers and invest in improved teaching equipment and labs. Finally, we would also be interested in supporting our network of job training partners, employers and workforce boards with replicating our successful training programs in new communities, if adequate funding was available. 

GRID’s estimated workforce development program budget for 2021 is $6,746,000, including a 10% indirect cost allocation to cover human resources, administrative and operating costs in support of the program. Direct program costs primarily represent salaries and benefits for 140 construction and workforce development staff that manage and deliver training opportunities, 40 paid year-long SolarCorps Fellowship stipends and benefits, stipends provided to training participants to help reduce financial barriers to participation, and miscellaneous costs such as staff travel between project sites and materials and equipment for training labs.

GRID Alternatives seeks funding from the Reimagining Pathways to Employment in the U.S. Challenge in order to continue to expand our successful paid training opportunities for diverse communities. Additional funding would allow us to increase the number of training opportunities we provide, while providing key capacity building support for our workforce development teams for additional “train the trainer” development and other training resources.

We are also interested in expanding partnerships with local workforce boards across our territories, building upon successful relationships we have developed in a few of GRID’s affiliate office territories in California. We would be glad to have additional support from stakeholders of the Challenge in connecting with potential workforce board partners and navigating the process of qualifying for addition on Eligible Training Provider Lists. While GRID primarily works in regions where we have a physical construction team completing renewable energy projects, we have also rolled out training programs in regions where we do not yet have a construction arm, such as Illinois where we are the workforce development lead for the program administration team of the statewide Solar for All Program. Thus, we would be interested in exploring opportunities to expand our training model in partnership with local employers, workforce development agencies and community organizations that are prepared to invest in mission-aligned renewable energy training for their communities.