Large-scale solar contractor McCarthy Building Companies is partnering with Adaptive Construction Solutions (ACS) to recruit and train veterans for careers in the construction trades, addressing a national workforce shortage. Together, the two organizations will identify and enroll veterans with military occupational specialties in an apprenticeship program that can lead to full-time employment with McCarthy. McCarthy will pilot the ACS program on its utility-scale solar and renewable energy projects.

Through the ACS program, each apprentice builds skill through the combination of on-the-job training, mentorship and technical instruction. The curriculum is designed to help veterans understand and develop the skills and knowledge essential to be successful on construction projects as part of the firm’s national craft workforce training initiative. McCarthy will actively participate in the training through deployment of its accredited apprenticeship program, instruction and mentorship.

“Construction requires teamwork and a commitment to quality and safety – skills inherent in the work veterans regularly encountered in their former roles,” said Jessica Adame, McCarthy national outreach manager. “We’re excited to support our veterans and offer them the opportunity to train and grow their careers with McCarthy, especially in the rapidly growing renewable energy industry.”

With a long history of supporting and building facilities for America’s armed forces, McCarthy is committed to recruiting, training, and helping veterans build rewarding careers. In addition to helping veterans build a career, McCarthy’s partnership with ACS helps address construction’s industry-wide shortage of talented craft professionals.

McCarthy Craft Learning Manager Franklin Brown, a veteran with a long history of supporting training and outreach programs for veterans, was instrumental in the partnership’s formation.

“Being able to make McCarthy more attractive to veterans through training programs like this enhances our veterans’ skill sets and helps them become more effective as a group working within McCarthy,” said Franklin. “The program will help replicate the kind of structure our veterans are used to in their military careers while getting very specific training within a growing industry.”

The McCarthy Renewable Energy & Storage group focuses on utility-scale solar installation projects as well as other renewable energy projects across the U.S. In 2021, the firm will be constructing more than 1.8 GW of clean energy projects across the nation and expects to hire nearly 1,000 craft professionals for the construction of the projects that year alone. The renewable energy sector is one of the fastest growing in the world and is anticipated to provide new and developing career opportunities for years to come.

“The renewable energy sector is helping communities around the country meet their clean energy goals while also creating much-needed jobs and sparking economic development.” said McCarthy Renewable Energy & Storage executive vice president Scott Canada. “As we build high-quality clean energy facilities to power our nation’s sustainable future, we’re also helping our veterans develop careers in construction and inviting them to contribute to building our country’s new power infrastructure. It’s an honor to have the opportunity to welcome veterans into the industry and train them for a rewarding career.”

Since 2010, McCarthy’s Renewable Energy & Storage group has completed more than 50 utility-scale clean energy projects in communities across the country, delivering a combined capacity of more than 4.4 GW of clean energy production and over 320 MW/720MWh of energy storage. Nationally, McCarthy provides Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) services on utility-scale solar and battery storage projects for private solar developers and utilities, helping them deliver cost-effective clean energy to the communities they serve.

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