Project Name: Solar Ready Vets®
Funding Opportunity: Solar Training and Education for Professionals (STEP)
SunShot Subprogram: Soft Costs
Location: Washington, DC
SunShot Award Amount: $1,947,730
Awardee Cost Share: $41,250
The Solar Foundation (TSF) is the new national administrator for the Solar Ready Vets® (SRV) program. This project takes an innovative approach to providing transitioning active duty service members with promising civilian career paths in solar energy while also providing the solar industry with highly qualified and motivated workers.
The STEP funding program was announced in May 2016. Read the announcement.
Approach
TSF works with training institutions near military bases across the country to train more than 2,500 transitioning military service members and veterans for jobs in the solar energy industry. The project also creates a set of standardized start-up materials, pathways for curriculum updates, and expanded employer engagement opportunities.
Innovation
SRV addresses the quickly-growing solar industry’s need for qualified workers. Veterans have technical aptitude and skills that are highly-transferable to the solar industry. Providing transitioning service members with training to enter the solar workforce prior to exiting the military creates a mutually beneficial scenario, which will help to lower soft costs, as solar companies will not have to dedicate as many resources to training new workers.