SOMAH partners with various job training organizations (JTOs) throughout the state to help connect eligible trainees with solar contractors in their community to work on SOMAH projects. But among the dozens of JTOs, just one is making job training available to all California residents, no matter where they live in the state. 

Thanks to a partnership with Heatspring, an online workforce training platform, SOMAH has launched a free, fully-online course series for prospective trainees to become eligible for paid solar job training on SOMAH projects, without having to enroll in formal job training or higher education programs. 

Heatspring’s SOMAH Academy offers a broad introduction to the solar industry through about 40 hours of self-paced modular online courses that allow students to learn on their own schedule. Once completed, participants are eligible to post their resumes on SOMAH’s online Job Portal, apply for solar job training positions and get paid while gaining valuable on-the-job experience. 

In summer 2024, Communities for a Better Environment (CBE), a community-based environmental justice organization working in Southeast Los Angeles and the East Bay areas, led a SOMAH Academy pilot program to spread awareness of its job training opportunities. Through door-knocking, presentations at community meetings and engagement with active members, they connected with four community members (two youth and two adults) who committed to completing the training course together. 

CBE supported the participants during their training, provided a stipend for their time and fostered group communication so that participants could share their experiences and support each other as peers. Together, they explored a wide range of solar and energy topics, ranging from solar project design and engineering to solar panel installation and maintenance. 

One participant explained they had struggled to attend more traditional in-person job training in the past because it was in another part of town and they didn’t have reliable transportation to and from the facility, which became a burden. With the flexibility of Heatspring’s self-paced online format and at-home study, the participant said they benefitted greatly from the learning experience. “The Heatspring program was a good start, and hopefully we can get hands-on training to be even better prepared for a solar career,” they said. 

The pilot program succeeded in opening a pathway to paid SOMAH solar job training for four members of the Southeast LA community who had no previous knowledge or experience with solar technology. With a SOMAH Academy foundation, they now are prepared to take their next steps, whether that is enrolling in a professional certification program or hands-on training on a SOMAH project installation.