The renewable energy sector, and solar energy specifically, is not known for diversity in the workplace. SEIA, Solar Energy Industries Association, tracks diversity by gender and race. SEIA’s 2019 report (linked here: https://www.thesolarfoundation.org/diversity/) provides great insight into not only current figures but also growth and progress. The report shows that the solar industry is less diverse than the national average but is progressing at an accelerated rate.
The topic of diversity in the workplace is always on our minds here at SolFarm Solar Co.. Mike Diethelm, owner and president of SolFarm, has personally taken steps in learning how to be a community leader in this space by attending the Building Bridges program. Building Bridges’ mission is to dismantle racism by fostering relationships that respect diversity, seek understanding, and encourage action.
For our latest effort to diversify our workforce, SolFarm has partnered with Green Opportunities (GO) in Asheville, NC. GO offers training and job placement for those in marginalized communities for many different trades. For our part of the June 2021 training program, SolFarm hosted three GO trainees. At the end of the program we were able to offer full-time employment to two of the trainees. This program has proven to be a great resource for us as a company and we are excited to see what the future holds for this partnership.
We would like to encourage those seeking employment, and those seeking employees, to reach out to GO to see how you may be able to get involved.
For additional details about our experience with this program please see our press release:
