In 2020, MCE received a $750,000 grant from the Marin Community Foundation (MCF) to support clean energy resiliency in Marin County. MCE is utilizing these funds to develop community-tailored resiliency solutions and create pathways for long-term, well-paying jobs in the clean energy industry. To support this transition, MCE allocated a portion of these funds to green job training for local residents, with a focus on residents in underserved communities.
In 2021, MCE worked with Canal Alliance to connect community members with local nonprofit solar installer, GRID Alternatives for green job training. In order to keep participants safe during the early part of COVID, the training was provided online and covered the basics of climate change, clean energy, and electricity; and technical topics such as solar array installation, electric wiring, and site evaluation. The course also helped participants prepare for employment by offering tips for resumes and job searches. To minimize barriers to completion, participants were compensated for their time to complete each module and earned a bonus stipend for completing the entire course.
We spoke to two of the training participants, Elsi Calderon and Yonatan Lopez, about their experience.
Elsi Calderon
I’m 19 years old and a college student from San Rafael majoring in Computer Science. I participated in this course because I became interested in clean energy as a better alternative to fossil fuels. My experience with the GRID Alternatives training has been great. It has been interesting learning about how solar panels work and how to install them. While I am interested in pursuing a career in programming, this training helped open my eyes to other career paths.
Yonatan Lopez
My name is Yonatan Lopez and I’m from Marin County. I became interested in clean energy when I discovered electric cars. I really enjoyed this training, and it made me more interested in clean energy. I am amazed at the different clean energy careers and options. I currently work in construction, and the training gave me a different perspective on how to incorporate clean energy into my work.
MCE is committed to supporting a just transition and creating long-term, well-paying employment opportunities in the renewable energy industry. Learn more about MCE’s green workforce development initiatives.
