As a foreman at New Columbia Solar (NCS), Dante Gray has plenty of things that keep him busy. But in between those tasks, his real growth occurs.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t build up until you build yourself up,\u201d Dante explained from inside a warehouse during a recent cloudy spring day. It was a slow afternoon without any pressing tasks. Yet he was studying hard, learning about new solar technologies and preparing to gain a new NABCEP solar certification. <\/p>\n
After only one year in the solar industry, Dante\u2019s career has taken flight. He started as a roof lead at NCS before getting promoted to foreman. Now he\u2019s aiming to become a construction manager, which motivates him to keep learning every day. <\/p>\n
\u201cMy mindset is that solar is the future \u2014 the present and the future,\u201d Dante says. \u201cI want to be one of the ones at the top. I don\u2019t want to be in the background.\u201d <\/p>\n
Dante\u2019s solar journey began in 2022. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, he had been working in pest control as part of his reentry process. Then he was laid off.<\/p>\n
Looking to restart his career, he went to the DC Infrastructure Academy, where a program administrator recommended he join Solar Works DC. Dante didn\u2019t know a thing about solar when he joined the program.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat grabbed my attention was the instructors,\u201d Dante said. GRID\u2019s workforce training supervisors made him feel comfortable learning. He bought in and listened to what they had to say. Before long, he was showing up excited to learn each day and researching even more on his own after class.<\/p>\n
Then one day he looked up the potential salaries in solar.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I saw how much you can make in solar, my toenails grew half an inch,\u201d Dante said. <\/p>\n
Just months after joining the staff at NCS, Dante was trusted to oversee the company\u2019s work installing solar panels at the Naylor Road Metro Station. His leadership and problem solving on that project impressed his company and showed he had the mentality to take on a bigger role. <\/p>\n
Dante said the word \u201cno\u201d isn\u2019t in his work vocabulary. If a piece doesn\u2019t fit, it\u2019s not because it can\u2019t fit\u2014it\u2019s because no one has found a way to make it fit. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe only way a mess-up remains a mess-up is if you aren\u2019t enthusiastic about fixing it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Dante’s problem-solving skills came from within. So did his motivation and drive. But he’s grateful for GRID and Solar Works DC, which showed him how his skills could build a successful career.<\/p>\n
“I gotta give it to GRID,” Dante said. “Without it, I wouldn’t be where I am today.” <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dante Gray, a Solar Works DC graduate, believes solar is the present and the future \u2014 and he wants to be one of the ones at the top.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":6087,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"audience":[],"content-type":[12],"focus-area":[20],"region":[65],"series":[],"content-author":[],"class_list":["post-7266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","content-type-news","focus-area-job-training","region-mid-atlantic"],"acf":{"hero_media_type":"image","hero_media_image":null,"hero_media_url":"","hero_media_poster":null,"hero_video_play":"inline","related_stories":null,"pattern_override":null,"story_callouts":null,"media":null,"featured_blog_post":null,"featured_event":null,"pdf_download":null,"blockquote":null,"author":null,"notice":null,"social_embed":null,"contact_card":null,"meta_details":null,"faq":null,"table":null},"yoast_head":"\n