Aligning Apprenticeship Programs in the Solar Industry

Participants will learn about efforts underway to create consensus-based National Guideline Standards of Apprenticeship (NGS) for a variety of occupations in demand by solar employers. NGS will help align Registered Apprenticeship (RA) training programs across the industry, and will streamline the approval and implementation process for new RA sponsors. Solar employers across the country are implementing apprenticeship programs to grow their workforce and meet labor requirements for federal tax credits and state regulatory compliance. With U.S. Department of Energy support and participation, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), and the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) are convening stakeholders to develop NGS in critical occupations such as electrician, construction craft laborer, sales professional, customer service specialist, operations manager, and system designer. Attend this session to develop an understanding of what occupations are "apprenticeable”, learn about the elements of an apprenticeship program standard, and hear how to join the effort to align apprenticeship programs using national guidelines.