OAKLAND, CA – GRID Alternatives Bay Area, in partnership with New Horizons Career Development Center and supported by the Wells Fargo Foundation, is pleased to announce the graduation ceremony for its second cohort of Installation Basics Training (IBT) 200 solar trainees. The event will occur on Monday, July 28, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at GRID Alternatives, 1171 Ocean Ave Unit 200, Oakland, CA 94608.
“We are thrilled to celebrate our second graduating cohort from our Installation Basic Training 200 program. This success is a testament to the power of collaboration, and we are deeply grateful to our partners at the New Horizon Career Development Center for their trust in our work. We also extend our sincere gratitude to Wells Fargo. Their critical investment provided the stipends that enabled our trainees to fully commit to this five-week program and launch their careers in renewable energy,” says Arthur Bart-Williams, Executive Director of GRID Alternatives Bay Area.
This graduation ceremony will honor the eight participants who have completed the 200-hour summer training program. Attendees can meet the trainees, learn about their experiences, and celebrate their achievements. A celebratory lunch will follow the ceremony, served around 12:30 p.m. Guests are encouraged to RSVP to ensure an accurate headcount for lunch.
GRID Alternatives is dedicated to providing an effective, efficient, and equitable pathway into the solar industry. One of its key training programs, Installation Basics Training (IBT), is a competency-based certificate program designed to equip participants with the skills most relevant to entry-level solar installation jobs and related construction employment fields. The IBT program focuses on individual certificates in industry-recognized skills, offering trainees valuable hands-on training and access to potential employment opportunities.
This cohort was made possible through a collaboration with New Horizons Career Development Center, which referred participants from their job skills class and offered free career services to clients. Additionally, the Wells Fargo Foundation provided direct financial sponsorship for trainee stipends, making this training program free of charge while incentivizing participation and attainment of the IBT 200 certificate.
“New Horizons partnering with GRID Alternatives for the IBT 200 Cohort is more than a collaboration; it’s a shared commitment to hands-on training, opportunity, and equity, which aligns with our mission of empowering individuals to become self-sufficient and live enriched, fulfilling lives,” says Dr. Anthony A.K. Hodge, Sr. Executive Director of New Horizons Career Development Center.
Join us in celebrating the accomplishments of these dedicated trainees and the ongoing efforts to expand access to careers in the solar industry. For more information and to RSVP, please contact Roy Garza, SolarCorps Workforce Development Fellow at rgarza@gridalternatives.org.
About GRID Alternatives
GRID Alternatives is an international, U.S.-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that builds community-powered solutions to advance economic and environmental justice through renewable energy. GRID works in the U.S., Mexico, Nepal, and Nicaragua and has installed solar photovoltaic systems on more than 29,500 homes and affordable housing developments in underserved communities while providing more than 33,200 individuals with workforce development training. GRID also provides clean mobility solutions and battery storage and is a leading voice in low-income solar policy development in the U.S. Installation Basics Training (IBT), a competency-based certificate program designed to develop the skills most relevant to entry-level solar installation jobs and related construction employment fields. Trainees learn solar installation skills, OSHA 10 safety standards, first aid and CPR, and soft skills, including interpersonal communication and dependability, to help job trainees obtain and sustain employment.
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