SOMAH’s Workforce Development team recently joined a Solar Career Day hosted by GRID Alternatives in Stockton, California. GRID Alternatives, a nonprofit solar installer and co-administrator of the SOMAH Program, held the event for participants who recently completed the Solar Installation Basics Training Program (IBT 200). 

IBT 200 is a competency-based certificate program designed to prepare participants for careers in solar installation through a combination of classroom instruction, safety training and hands-on experience. The 15 event attendees had already completed OSHA training and core coursework and were preparing to put their skills into practice during a live installation project in South Stockton later that week. 

The career day helped participants connect what they were learning in the classroom to real-world opportunities in the solar workforce. During the session, SOMAH’s Workforce Development team shared information about SOMAH-supported paid job training opportunities available locally and across the state. 

"Part of teaching trainees the skills they need to be successful in their careers is teaching them that there are many pathways to success," says Seth Yund, GRID Alternatives Northern California's Workforce Development Director. "The SOMAH Program provides trainees with a unique pathway to gain initial experience and connections with employers that can be the spark to the start of their solar career. It’s a wonderful addition to the post-IBT options we present during our Career Day." 

Participants also learned how affordable housing solar projects can create career pathways into California’s growing clean energy industry. The session highlighted the role contractors play in delivering multifamily solar projects and the importance of maintaining a skilled workforce to meet growing demand. 

Workforce development remains a key part of the SOMAH Program’s broader mission to expand equitable access to clean energy. By supporting training partnerships and connecting emerging workers with industry opportunities, SOMAH helps strengthen the pipeline between workforce programs, contractors and affordable housing projects throughout California. 

For contractors and property owners, these workforce partnerships represent more than training opportunities. They help build a reliable network of skilled workers prepared to support future solar installations. As demand for clean energy projects continues to grow, collaborations with organizations like GRID Alternatives help ensure communities benefit not only from solar access, but also from long-term career pathways in the clean energy economy.