SASH Program fosters new workforce development partnerships in solar

The Single-family Affordable Solar Homes (SASH) Program provides a foundation for promoting and building a sustainable solar industry in California by making workforce development and job training an integral part of the program. The SASH Program will potentially provide solar installation opportunities to over 120,000 job trainees and volunteers throughout California, totaling more than one million hours of hands-on solar installation experience.

In addition to the job training experience provided through GRID Alternatives’ popular volunteer-based installation model, the SASH Program further promotes partnerships between other local contractors and job training organizations. SASH’s subcontractor partners hire at least one entry-level solar job trainee for every SASH installation they perform.

In Monterey, Solex - Applied Solar Energy hired job trainees for more than twenty SASH installations from the nonprofit job training organization Rancho Cielo. Rancho Cielo prepares at-risk and paroled youth for future employment through training in various construction-related fields.

Rancho Cielo’s Executive Director Susie Brusa spoke about the SASH and SPP Program workforce development efforts, “Having an opportunity like this for our graduates to work with new technology, on projects that are good for the earth, has benefits beyond the paycheck. It’s great that we have partnerships with companies that will hire our graduates.”

Anthony Boncutter, a lead solar installer from Solex, spoke about the experiences of the Rancho Cielo youth that worked on his team: “They get a good understanding of how the systems are put together, from installing the standoffs and roof attachments all the way to the electrical. We really try to educate them on the electrical side.”

Through the SASH Program, contractors have the opportunity to develop the skills they wish to see in the workforce, and job trainees gain access to paid hands-on experience.