Guide to SOMAH
Job Training Requirements
Designed for solar contractors to learn and understand
the job training requirements of the SOMAH Program.

Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing

Welcome to SOMAH
California’s Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) Program offers significant financial incentives and energy cost savings to affordable housing tenants and property owners.
To successfully receive the incentive payment, contractors assist property owners throughout the SOMAH application process and ensure all program requirements are completed.
This guidebook is designed to help contractors understand and accomplish one of SOMAH’s essential requirements – hiring eligible job trainees for every SOMAH project.

The SOMAH Program was created by the California Legislature to help reduce energy bills for low-income residents and provide thousands of paid job training opportunities to community members.

Table of Contents

Job Training Requirements Overview	4
Required Number of Job Trainees & Hours	5
Job Trainee Eligibility Requirements	6
Encouragement of Local & Targeted Hiring	7
Types of Job Training	8
Wage Requirements	9
How to Get Started	10
SOMAH Job Training Portal	11
Early Job Trainee Terminations & Required Notifications	13
Additional Resources	14
Appendix	15

Job Training Requirements Overview

Providing job training and workforce development opportunities is an integral part of the SOMAH Program.
It stimulates economic and workforce development by providing thousands of paid job training opportunities to community
members and gives contractors an opportunity to connect to potential long-term employees for their team.
As a qualification for a SOMAH incentive, projects must complete all job training requirements.

The appropriate number of trainees depends on the solar system size. See page 5 for more information.
Prevailing Wage depends on project size (kW size and number of stories). SOMAH participants should be aware of prevailing wage requirements and comply  accordingly  with  local guidance for projects. For additional information, review the FAQ page or contact CPUC Surge at info@cpucsurge.org.

Contractors are responsible for leading and completing the following:
Hire the appropriate number of job trainees.1
Enter and manage job training opportunities for each project  in the SOMAH Job Training Portal, beginning at least 60 days before installation begins.
Pay job trainees according to SOMAH or prevailing wage2 requirements within 30 days of the actual work.
Have insurance that covers job training hires, including temporary hires.
Ensure all hired trainees have completed the Job Trainee Intake Form.
Submit the Job Training Affidavit with the Incentive Claim Package.
Respond to Employment and Performance Surveys for each job trainee hired, which are sent at the incentive claim submitted stage.
Remind and encourage each job trainee to fill out The Job Trainee Survey
More details of contractors’ responsibilities will be outlined throughout this guidebook.

Contractors must hire the appropriate number of eligible job trainees for each project.
The number of required job trainees and work hours depends on the size of the system based on the CEC-AC rating.3
Projects in the Liberty and PacifiCorp regions are only required to hire one trainee for a minimum of 40 hours independent of project size.

Required Number of Job Trainees & Hours

System Size (CEC-AC)	Required Number of Job Trainees (PGE, SCE, and SDGE projects)	Required Number of Work Hours Per Trainee (PGE, SCE, and SDGE projects)	
0kW - <50kW	1 trainee	40 hours or more	
50kW - <100 kW	2 trainees	40 hours or more	
100kW and greater	2 trainees	80 hours or more	

CEC-AC is a standard for rating a system’s power that is based upon 1,000 watt/m2 solar irradiance, 20° Celsius ambient temperature and 1 meter/second wind speed. The CEC-AC watt rating is lower than the Standard Test Conditions (STC), a watt rating used by manufacturers.

Job Trainee Eligibility Requirements

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Eligible job training programs include PV training programs with 40+ hours of hands-on installation or design training offered to the public by a California Community College, local government workforce development program, community nonprofit, private enterprise or the electrical workers union. Also eligible are
career technical education programs related to green building construction or design offering 40+ hours of instruction.
Contractors must ensure all hired job trainees have completed the Job Trainee Intake Form.
For a list of SOMAH-eligible job training programs, see the
SOMAH Job Training Organization Directory.
The SOMAH Program Administrator (PA) team can support contractors with recruiting eligible job trainees for each project.

Contractors must find job trainees that meet one
of the following criteria:
Be currently enrolled in an eligible job training program.
Recently graduated from an eligible job training program within 12 months of the start date of the SOMAH installation.
Live in a property that is participating in SOMAH.

Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing

Guide to SOMAH Job Training Requirements	6

Encouragement of Local & Targeted Hiring

The SOMAH Program’s local and targeted hiring initiatives are designed to ensure that jobs are directed to community members who need them most. While local and targeted hiring are not required by the program, they are strongly encouraged.
Local hire is defined as an individual who resides within the county where the SOMAH project is located.
Targeted hire can include the following:
Residents of disadvantaged communities per
CalEnviroScreen
Affordable housing residents
Women
People of color
Individuals who have faced or have overcome employment barriers
Watch SOMAH’s Fair Chance Hiring Webinar for more information on local and targeted hiring.

Types of Job Training
Job trainees can participate directly on the solar installation or in a supporting role for the SOMAH project. The job training may occur on or off the project site. The different types of responsibilities a job trainee may participate in are outlined.

Project Designer
Perform tasks such as:
Assessing project sites
Configuring mechanical design
Configuring electrical design
Configuring system monitoring, control and communications design
Preparing project documentation
Securing permits and approvals
Adapting system design

PV Installers
Install system components such as:
Raceway
Electrical equipment
DC PV system conductors
AC PV system conductors
Grounding and bonding
System monitoring, control and hardware
Battery equipment
Ground-mounted structure
Building-mounted system
PV modules

Commissioning and Maintenance
Conduct activities such as:
Reviewing or developing commissioning protocol
Completing visual and mechanical inspection
Conducting mechanical and electrical tests
Confirming project completion
Orienting end user to system
Verifying system operation and performance structure
Performing preventive and corrective maintenance

Wage Requirements

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The SOMAH Program was designed to create job training opportunities that lead to well-paid jobs.
For this reason, the program includes a wage floor that requires a job trainee to be paid at either of the following (whichever is higher):
Contractor’s entry level rate.
1.4 times the minimum wage of the city where the SOMAH project is located.
If the city or county has no mandated minimum wage, the California state minimum wage should be assumed.
It is the contractor’s responsibility to verify the most updated local minimum wage at the time of installation.
AB 2143, California’s Prevailing Wage Law.4
All trainees must be paid within 30 days of the actual work. In addition to these wage requirements, contractors must have insurance that covers hired job trainees, including temporary hires.
The SOMAH PA will revisit the wage floor periodically as average wages increase.

Prevailing Wage depends on project size (kW size and number of stories). SOMAH participants should be aware of prevailing wage requirements and comply accordingly with local guidance for projects. For additional information, review the FAQ page or contact CPUC Surge at info@cpucsurge.org.

Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing

Guide to SOMAH Job Training Requirements	9

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How to Get Started

Recruitment for job trainees should begin at least 60 days before the start of an installation. In the SOMAH application process, this will typically occur in the Proof of Project Milestone.
Contractors must post and manage all SOMAH job training positions to the SOMAH Job Training Portal Job’s page. Contractors will receive login
information to the job training portal via email after attending the contractor webinar and submitting the requested contact information.

Different resources and tools are offered on the portal to make it easier to connect with trainees such as:
A job board to post and manage open trainee positions.
A resume bank for contractors to search for eligible trainees.
A job training organization directory to connect with prospective trainees.
Contractors must post each SOMAH job training opportunity on the job board at least 60 days before installation begins but may choose to keep the job posting hidden and recruit job trainees via other means.
Contractors must ensure all hired job trainees have completed the Job Trainee Intake Form.

Enter job training position(s) in Job Training Portal

at least 60 days or more

60
DAYS

Job trainee

Recommended Tenant Education

60 days or fewer

START DATE

recruitment begins

Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing	Guide to SOMAH Job Training Requirements 10

SOMAH Job Training Portal

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The SOMAH Job Training Portal offers contractors three different ways to recruit and hire job trainees: the SOMAH Job Board, Resume Bank, and Job Training Organization Directory.
Job Board
To post a new job, log in to the job training portal. The following information will be required:
Company name
Position title
Job description
Project city
City or local minimum wage
Planned SOMAH Trainee Wage
SOMAH project ZIP code
SOMAH application number
Contractors are not limited on the number of job openings they can post or have active. Additionally, contractors can review and manage their active job openings by visiting the Manage Jobs page. Once a position is filled, contractors must mark the job training opportunity as filled or closed on the job board.
If you do not have a contractor portal account or need assistance, please contact workforce@calsomah.org. You can confirm that you have a contractor account if the “Jobs” drop-down menu includes the options Manage Jobs and Post a Job.

Job Description
In addition to the required information, we recommend the following information be included in the job description field:
Start and end date
Other benefits or equipment provided
# of positions available
Company description
List of specific tasks that job trainees will perform
Any specific experience or certifications desired

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Guide to SOMAH Job Training Requirements	11

SOMAH Job Training Portal (cont.)

Resume Bank
The resume bank has a pool of eligible job trainees located throughout California, making it easier for contractors to identify trainees for a project.
Right away, contractors have access to the following information for each job trainee:
Full name
Phone number
Email address
City and state
Desired job position
Relevant certifications
Resume
Cover letter (optional)
Contractors can narrow down the list of job trainees based on location, certifications and keywords.

Job Training Organization Directory
Use this resource to connect with SOMAH- eligible job training programs that have students who may be currently active or have recently graduated. Visit the job training program’s website or contact the school or organization directly to gain more information about their students. The SOMAH PA can also connect contractors directly to eligible job training organizations in the project region.

Early Job Trainee Terminations & Required Notifications

Job training requirements must be completed to receive a SOMAH incentive payment. However, exceptions may be made in rare and extenuating circumstances, such as unplanned early terminations or resignations of a job trainee (voluntary or involuntary).
Contractors will be expected to complete alternative compliance pathways determined by the SOMAH PA in order to fulfill the job training requirement.
The SOMAH PA recommends contractors identify alternative trainees available for a project to prepare for unplanned losses of a job trainee. In such cases, contractors will be expected to make every reasonable effort to hire a new trainee to comply with the requirements.
To obtain exceptions to the job training requirements, contractors must contact the SOMAH PA within five business days of the early termination or resignation to discuss the program options.
For inquiries regarding early terminations (voluntary or involuntary), contractors must contact the SOMAH PA by emailing workforce@calSOMAH.org.

Additional Resources

The SOMAH PA can support contractors with:
Job trainee recruitment and placement.
Guidance using the SOMAH Job Training Portal.
Connection to local job training organizations.
Education on successful hiring and training.
Questions about job training requirements.
Contact us by email at workforce@calSOMAH.org.

Check out the SOMAH resources available online:
Watch the Job Training Overview Webinar.
Watch the SOMAH Contractor Series on our YouTube channel
Find job trainees near your location through the
Job Training Organization Directory.
Find resources for contractors on the SOMAH Resource Library
Explore stories of real SOMAH job trainees:
Women in Solar: Erica’s Story
From Job Trainee to Full-Time Installer: Jesse’s Story
From Intern to Solar System Engineer: Oscar’s Story

Appendix

SOMAH Job Trainee Intake Form
The following information is collected by the SOMAH Program Administrator for the purposes of data analysis and will never be shared with prospective employers. Your responses will not impact your ability to participate in the SOMAH program. To learn more about SOMAH Job training, please visit calsomah.org/job-training-eligibility. If you would prefer to enter this information online, please visit
https://www.ca-somah.org/jobportal/s/self-register?locale=us.

Once completed, please send a photo or scan of this form to workforce@calsomah.org. The SOMAH Workforce Development team will create a SOMAH Job Portal account with the information you provide. If you would like to be considered for additional SOMAH training opportunities, please attach a digital copy of your resume to be added to the Resume Bank accessible by SOMAH Contractors.
Contact Information
Are you currently experiencing homelessness?
Yes
No

First name:	
Last name:	
Address:	
City:	Zip:	
Primary phone:	
Secondary phone (optional):	
Primary email address:	
Secondary email address (optional):	

1

 	    

Solar on Multifamily Affordable  Housing

Start recruiting job trainees today using our
SOMAH Job Training Portal

510-913-9402
workforce@calsomah.org

© 2025 Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing Program (SOMAH)

Disclaimer: The Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing Program (SOMAH) makes every effort to present accurate and reliable information. However, the content is presented “as is” without warranty of any kind. Reference to any specific commercial product, process, or service does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the SOMAH Program.