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 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.”

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To learn more about NABCEP certifications, visit nabcep.org/certifications/associate-program/

Elevate is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works nationally and is headquartered in Chicago. Elevate seeks to create a just and equitable world in which everyone has clean and affordable heat, cooling, power, and water in their homes and communities. Our goal is to transform clean energy by expanding its benefits and services while making them more accessible than ever before. We are deploying reliable and affordable clean energy solutions so that every community has access to renewable energy.

GRID Alternatives is an international, U.S.-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that builds community-powered solutions to advance economic and environmental justice through renewable energy. GRID works in the U.S., Mexico, Nepal, and Nicaragua and has installed solar photovoltaic systems on more than 29,500  homes and affordable housing developments in underserved communities while providing more than 33,200 individuals with workforce development training. GRID also provides clean mobility solutions and battery storage and is a leading voice in low-income solar policy development in the U.S.  Installation Basics Training (IBT), a competency-based certificate program designed to develop the skills most relevant to entry-level solar installation jobs and related construction employment fields. Trainees learn solar installation skills, OSHA 10 safety standards, first aid and CPR, and soft skills, including interpersonal communication and dependability, to help job trainees obtain and sustain employment.

Sesenergi Eco Solutions is on a mission to make clean energy accessible, equitable, and transformative. By integrating innovative renewable solutions with workforce development and community engagement, we empower individuals, businesses, and historically underserved communities to take control of their energy future. Our goal is not just to power homes and businesses but to build a more sustainable, inclusive world—one project, one partnership, and one empowered community at a time.

The mission of North Lawndale Employment Network (NLEN) is to improve the earnings potential of the North Lawndale community through innovative employment initiatives that lead to economic advancement and an improved quality of life. For 25 years, NLEN has connected job-seekers facing barriers to employment to good local jobs through quality workforce training, coaching and supportive services, fair chance employment advocacy, and by harnessing the power of honey through its beekeeping social enterprises.