We encourage training providers and workforce development organizations to join the Solar Ready Vets Network to stay current on resources and opportunities related to veteran solar training and employment. Training providers, please share these resources with your veteran students and encourage them to join the Solar Ready Vets Network.
GI Bill for Solar Training
A key objective of the Solar Ready Vets Network is to make solar training widely accessible to veterans. Ensuring that your institution and training program is registered with the Veterans Affairs is an important step to allow veterans to apply GI Bill benefits to solar courses.
WEAMS (Web Enabled Approval Management System) is the registration system used by the Department of Veterans Affairs to track education programs that are eligible for GI Bill benefits. Completing this process and getting your solar programs WEAMS-registered helps to put your program on the map for veteran students, and ensures that veterans can use their education benefits for your solar training program.
Please reach out to Eric Filante at NABCEP ([email protected]) with any questions about this process.
Fast Tracks to Certification
The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) now offers Fast Tracks for veterans to streamline the process and requirements for certification in ways that reflect skills and experience gained through military service. Fast Tracks for solar certifications will become available over fall 2021. Please visit NABCEP.org for the most current information.
Regional Workforce Development Partnerships
We are working to establish regional partnerships between solar employers and community college solar training programs to ensure that graduates of solar programs are well-prepared to succeed in entry-level jobs and advance in the industry. Our goal is to improve alignment between training outcomes and workforce needs, to support talent development and retention at regional scales.
So far, we’ve supported partnerships in:
- Virginia: Tidewater Community College & Strata Solar
- Texas: Houston Community College & kiloWatt Solar
- California: Miracosta Community College & Sunrun
- North Carolina: Central Piedmont Community College & Pure Power
- New York: Hudson Valley Community College & US Light Energy
- Florida: Erwin Technical College & Tampa Bay Solar
- Massachusetts: Bunker Hill Community College & Trinity Solar
- Delaware: Delaware Technical Community College & Solar States
- Minnesota: Century College & TruNorth Solar
- Illinois: Kankakee Community College & Enel North America
Interested in workforce development partnerships? Check out the Solar Workforce Development Toolkit to learn more about sector partnerships for localized solar talent development.