Eight North Lawndale Trainees Pass Solar Certification on First Try, Paving Path to Good-Paying Jobs and Healthier Communities

CHICAGO – Eight graduates of our clean energy workforce training program passed their NABCEP certification exams on their first attempt, qualifying them for well-paying job opportunities in the growing green economy. Elevate, GRID Alternatives, Sesenergi Eco Solutions, and North Lawndale Employment Network (NLEN) partnered to offer a 10-week Clean Energy Workforce Training (CEWT) program in the North Lawndale community.

The NABCEP Associate Credential is a way for graduates to prove they understand the basic terms and operational aspects of solar energy systems. This industry-recognized certification helps graduates stand out among other applicants and increases their opportunities to be employed in the clean energy industry.

Their success on their exams shows that the graduates of this 10-week hands-on solar installation training program emerged as skilled professionals, ready to step into good-paying jobs and help build healthier, thriving communities. Participants received stipends that reflect industry wages and comprehensive wrap-around support, including transportation, work attire, tutoring, and financial coaching.

“The Clean Energy Workforce Training program demonstrates the power of investing in people,” says Dr. Anne Evens, CEO of Elevate. “By opening doors to quality and good-paying careers in clean energy, we’re creating real pathways to success. We’re proud to stand with our partners and the North Lawndale community to build a more just and resilient future.”

“Elevate has truly put together an amazing program by bringing together a comprehensive solar training offering to Chicago. Our trainees learn from both academic and kinesthetic training for solar skills. GRID is honored to be a part of this team by providing our IBT 120 (Installation Basics Training 120-hour) Program for practical hands-on learning. This incredible cohort of trainees has excelled in so many ways, and we are so proud of their accomplishments. Congratulations!” says Steve Geiger, GRID Alternatives Technical Training Director.

“This cohort was a great success. We had a group of students eager to learn, engage, and put their best foot forward. The graduates are now actively pursuing careers. As a global trailblazer in the renewable and clean energy ecosystem, Sesenergi provides climate-friendly, closed-loop solutions and workforce development opportunities to prepare communities for the new energy workforce. This program lifted these students up to find their place in the solar industry, and the mutual support from our partnership with GRID and Elevate is helping open doors and create lasting opportunities for their future,” says Osei David Andrews-Hutchinson, Sesenergi Eco Solutions’ Chief Operating Officer.

“We are proud to be a part of this training program that’s had a meaningful impact on participants’ lives as well as the North Lawndale community as a whole,” says Brenda M. Palms, North Lawndale Employment Network’s President and CEO. “The participants graduated with skills and certifications required to access jobs in the clean energy industry, which will not only lead to material changes in their lives but also in the lives of their neighbors.”