Remote Energy proudly celebrates the graduation of 53 remarkable women from its Spring 2024 Women’s Only Solar Fundamentals with Energy Storage Units 1 & 2 Class. This diverse cohort, representing Uganda, Cameroon, Tanzania, and Kenya, embarked on a transformative journey of intensive training. Their dedication not only deepened their solar skills but also shattered the barriers and stereotypes that often hinder women from accessing technical education and job opportunities in the solar industry.
What sets the Remote Energy Women’s Program apart is its commitment to providing students with the extra time and encouragement needed to successfully complete the course. Despite facing challenges such as network issues, electricity failures, lack of prior experience with online courses, and family responsibilities, these resilient women persevered. They attribute much of their success to the supportive environment created by the women’s only class, where they felt empowered and confident to participate fully.
One student shared, “Being among my fellow women made me confident and able to participate in any activity.” The overwhelmingly positive feedback from the students underscores the importance of a women-only environment in their learning experience.
“We are incredibly proud of the women who have graduated from our program. Their determination and commitment inspire us every day,” said Carol Weis, Co-founder of Remote Energy.
Remarkably, 100% of the students expressed their desire to pursue a solar license, highlighting the significant impact of the program. Many cited lack of experience and opportunities as their biggest barriers to entering the solar industry. The course curriculum included hands-on lab classes where students learned to safely test PV modules, experiment with shading and orientation, assemble and wire solar lighting systems, and mount PV modules onto roofs.
Weis also expressed sincere appreciation to numerous individual and corporate donors, including Fluke Energy, Andersen Construction, the Rotary Club International, and BayWa r.e.s. SES. “This program would not be possible without the generous support of the community. With a record number of students in this cohort, we eagerly anticipate welcoming an even larger group of aspiring solar professionals in our Fall 2024 classes, to build a gender-balanced, diverse and inclusive solar industry.”
For more information about Remote Energy’s Women’s Program and upcoming classes, please visit www.RemoteEnergy.org.
