Five companies spurring solar workforce development

Sunstall intern David Wenk from Germany.

 

Last year was the first time solar jobs decreased since The Solar Foundation’s first Solar Jobs Census in 2010, but some companies are doing their part to make sure the people-power matches the solar power in this industry. Here are some standout solar companies making a difference.

When Sunstall CEO Helge Biernath sent out cold letters to try to get an internship in the United States when he was a student in Germany, he was met with silence and rejection.

“I remember how frustrating that was because I think from the four companies I applied to, only one got back to me and said, ‘No we’re not doing that,’” Biernath said.

Biernath said it’s not for the faint-hearted or for people who just want to spend a luxurious summer in San Francisco. One intern he recalled was not thrilled about going to Minnesota to install panels in the bitter winter. But Biernath has had plenty of fearless interns that made the venture worth his while.So when he started his own company stateside, he decided to give other international students the chance he didn’t have. Sunstall offers three-month to one-year internships where international students can experience all the aspects of working at a solar company—from managing in-office tasks to traveling to different states to work on solar installations.

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