Standardizing Solar PV O&M Technician Levels and Training
Amicus O&M Cooperative (AOMC) has received a three-year, $1.5M grant award from the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office funding opportunity Advancing Equity Through Workforce Partnerships to standardize, train, credential, and develop the solar PV O&M workforce.
Deliverables
- Technician Competency Framework: common framework to define tech levels 1-4
- With specific sections for utility-scale, C&I, residential, and BESS-related topics
- Training curriculum outline for each level of technician professional advancement
- Includes lesson outline for formal courses as well as On the Job training and field assessments
These documents will be publicly available for companies, community colleges, and training providers to use as we align programs across the industry. We are also working closely with the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and American Clean Power (ACP) to ensure alignment with the American National Standards they will each publish on solar PV O&M technician training.
Standardization
Technician levels and expected competencies
Training
Common curriculum and credentials
Certification
Associate level certification
Workforce
Outreach, employment, and enrollment
Benefits to your Company
HIRING:
How many times have you interviewed a technician without a way to objectively evaluate their skills? This framework will allow you to more fairly and accurately assess their title/role and pay scale according to their training and experience levels.
RETENTION:
Everyone wants to know that their company invests in employee growth and development. This framework and training plan provides a clear pathway for advancement. These tools can help inform job descriptions, pay scales, and performance reviews.
MATURATION of O&M INDUSTRY:
Following in the footsteps of many other industries, we have the opportunity to define tech levels and training in a way that will benefit our companies – not leaving the job to external players.
Project Goals
The Solar O&M High Road Training Partnership’s primary objectives are to enhance equity, safety, and professional quality for O&M technicians through expanded standardization, training, certification, and workforce development. AOMC is collaborating with key industry players, strategic workforce development organizations, employers, and workers to create new career pathways for both incumbent and entry-level professionals.
The program will enroll 1,000 new trainees in partner training programs with 40% of them from disadvantaged communities (DACs), offer $100,000 to scholarships for people from DACs, create a new NABCEP associate certification, and align with other existing training and apprenticeship programs to bring more people into O&M work.
Join Us!
The Solar O&M High Road Training Partnership has established a multi-stakeholder Advisory Committee (AC) to guide and inform its work. The AC is working to standardize O&M technician competency frameworks for various system scales, including large utility-scale systems, distributed generation-scale systems, and residential systems. This standardization will be accompanied by the creation of associated training programs and the development of a workforce pipeline from disadvantaged communities.
Email grant@amicusom.com for the link to the meeting and the current working drafts of the tech competency framework and curriculum outline.
Project Partners
If your company does not have an in-house training program, Solar Energy International (SEI) can fill the gap! Its newly revamped O&M training will align with the standard framework and be eligible for NABCEP pre-requisites. SEI will also offer scholarships to your employees from Disadvantaged Communities, offsetting the cost per employee to pay for this training.
NABCEP is developing an associate credential for solar O&M technicians to provide a standard credential for more entry-level techs to demonstrate their knowledge.
IECRM, BOSS, and ENTITY Academy will help bring new workers into this growing and critical market segment.
Partner News
Smaller solar installations with batteries benefit co-ops and rural residents
About the Solar Energy Technologies Office
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office accelerates the advancement and deployment of solar technology in support of an equitable transition to a decarbonized economy. Learn more at energy.gov/eere/solar.
