The groups behind the Florida Solar Energy Apprenticeship, the first solar apprenticeship in the country to be registered with the U.S. Dept. of Labor, will host a job fair Dec. 8, 2022, to celebrate the program.
Credit: Florida Power & Light Company
The apprenticeship was developed by the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association (FlaSEIA) and the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC). Approved by the Florida Department of Education, the Solar Energy Apprenticeship aims to ensure that Florida continues to produce well-trained, highly qualified solar energy technicians.
“We’ve been working on the Solar Energy Apprenticeship over the past year, and through the hard work of FSEC, FlaSEIA, and a dedicated group of solar contractors, solar companies across the Sunshine State can now take advantage of the registered apprenticeship program to grow their solar installation workforce,” said Colleen McCann Kettles, solar apprenticeship committee secretary and FSEC director of workforce and business development.
The Solar Energy Apprenticeship comprises 4,000 hours of on-the-job training and 296 hours of classroom training over a two year period.
“It will provide contractors in Florida access to well-trained solar energy technicians, capable of installing both photovoltaic and solar thermal water heating systems,” said Rick Gilbert, solar apprenticeship committee co-chair and executive vice president of Solar Source.
“The Solar Energy Apprenticeship provides a specific pathway to Floridians looking to join the burgeoning solar industry and gives Florida contractors confidence that hired apprentices are well-rounded and competent individuals, people who will become future assets for their companies,” said David Bessette, solar apprenticeship committee chair and president of Energy Technology Services.
The Florida Solar Energy Apprenticeship program will begin recruiting additional solar employers who are interested in being a part of the program in the coming months.
“For more than four decades, FlaSEIA has been advocating for policies and programs that help Florida solar contractors,” said Wendy Parker, executive director of FlaSEIA. “We are always listening to our members, and the Solar Energy Apprenticeship is the latest program to help our contractors grow and sustain their businesses.”
“The Solar Energy Apprenticeship comprises 4,000 hours of on-the-job training and 296 hours of classroom training over a two year period.”
This is the type of thing needed in the solar PV arena. Right now there are “some” Junior Colleges developing programs for training a workforce for solar PV installations. THIS program requires more than two or three college semesters of class time and adds 4,000 hours of on-the-job hands on experience something no college lab would offer. Basically one and a half years of doing the task instead of the classroom with maybe a lab of one to two hours every week. An apprentice program usually teaches the concept of “best practices” in application of the technology and tools available, another thing Colleges don’t always do.