April 4, 2024 – Amicus Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Cooperative has received a three-year, $1.5M grant award from the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office funding opportunity Advancing Equity Through Workforce Partnerships. This program, partly funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will facilitate the rapid deployment of solar energy technologies and enable more members of disadvantaged communities and energy justice populations to pursue careers in the solar energy industry.
The Solar O&M High Road Training Partnership’s primary objectives are to enhance equity, safety, and professional quality for O&M technicians through expanded standardization, training, certification, and workforce development. AOMC is collaborating with key industry players, strategic workforce development organizations, employers, and workers to create new career pathways for both incumbent and entry-level professionals.
“The solar industry faces a shortage of qualified technicians, exacerbated by the lack of comprehensive training and certification programs for O&M professionals,” explained Ms. Bybee. “Moreover, the existing technician pool lacks diversity, limiting access to rewarding, long-term, family-sustaining careers for individuals from disadvantaged communities (DACs). With solar growth expected to quadruple in the next decade, the time is right to up our game in this aspect of the solar industry.”
Project partners in this transformative initiative include Solar Energy International, North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP), ENTITY Academy, Black Owners of Solar Services (B.O.S.S.), and Independent Electrical Contractors Rocky Mountain. The program aims to enroll 1,000 new trainees in partner training programs, offer $100,000 to scholarships for people from DACs, create a new associate certification, and align with other existing training and apprenticeship programs to bring more people into O&M work.
The Solar O&M High Road Training Partnership has established a multi-stakeholder Advisory Committee (AC) to guide and inform its work. The AC will standardize O&M technician competency frameworks for various system scales, including large utility-scale systems, distributed generation-scale systems, and residential systems. This standardization will be accompanied by the creation of associated training program standards and the development of a workforce pipeline from disadvantaged communities. If your company is interested in participating in this important work, please contact Amanda Bybee at grant@amicusom.com.
About Amicus O&M Cooperative
Amicus O&M Cooperative is a community of 36 solar operations and maintenance (O&M) providers who service residential, commercial, and utility-scale solar PV systems across North America. The cooperative supports its member companies in offering safe, efficient, standardized services through a set of templates and tools, knowledge-sharing, and training.
About the Solar Energy Technologies Office
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office accelerates the advancement and deployment of solar technology in support of an equitable transition to a decarbonized economy. Learn more at energy.gov/eere/solar.
For more information on the Advancing Equity through Workforce Partnerships cohort, visit https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/advancing-equity-through-workforce-partnerships-funding-program
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