Solar Energy International Awards Over $4000 in Scholarships to Active Duty
Posted by: chris
November 9, 2014
Solar Energy International (SEI) is pleased to announce we are awarding over $ 4000 in scholarships for renewable energy training through our outreach program for veterans and active duty military personnel. November 11th, 2014 is Veterans Day and we are awarding selected veterans with full SEI Online Campus scholarships for our online training program with sessions starting on November 10th. See online training schedule >>
From Soldiers to Solar
For the first time, the significant contributions of military veterans to the solar industry have been documented in a joint report from The Solar Foundation and Operation Free, Veterans in Solar: Securing America’s Energy Future. The brief report shows that the U.S. solar industry employs 13,192 veterans of the armed forces, a figure which represents 9.2% of all solar workers in the nation, exceeding the percentage of veteran employment in the overall economy. Importantly, the report also explores the challenges of connecting highly-skilled military veterans with positions in the solar industry that match their abilities.
As an organization, we believe in the opportunities that renewable energy can afford our country, such as energy independence and sustainable use of our country’s natural resources. With that in mind, we also honor those who have served our country and who are choosing to follow up their military service with a new kind of service; service in the renewable energy sector.
If you are a veteran and wish to be considered for future scholarship opportunites, contact Chris Turek (formerly U.S. Army, Sgt. Turek), SEI’s Director of Marketing and Alumni Relations at chris@solarenergy.org.
For over two decades, SEI has had the honor of training soldiers returning from their military service with the hopes of starting a new career in the solar industry. Additionally, SEI has partnered with active duty military projects and installations in recent years to provide training with the goal of spreading solar energy applications to military bases all over the U.S. and abroad. SEI has experienced a dramatic increase in recent years of veterans who wish to attend SEI training and are looking for funding opportunities to take full advantage of all that SEI has to offer.
Eligibility Requirements
Any veteran with a valid DD Form 214 (or current Military ID Card for active duty personnel) that is accepted into the SEI Solar Professionals Certificate Program will receive a full scholarship for PV101 Online, the first course in their certificate path. All interested veterans will still need to apply for the SEI Solar Professionals Certificate Program acceptance and meet our selection criteria to help ensure their successful program completion. Be sure to click that you are a veteran or active duty military member when filling out the Certificate Application.
SEI’s Solar Professionals Certificate Program also has a perfect certificate track for active duty military trainers and program managers to get the deepest level of training in the industry. The Train-the-trainers certificate path will be made available in this new scholarship program to any active duty military trainer who currently has, or is proposed to having, a training role in bringing solar energy technologies to their base or unit. A full scholarship for PV101 Online, which is the first course in this certificate path, will be made available free of charge for all active duty trainers accepted into this program.
The new Solar Energy International Active Duty Military and Veterans Scholarship program will give these Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines a jump start to starting a new career and learning new technical skills in solar applications. We are happy to offer this scholarship opportunity to those who are serving or have served our country in our military and we offer this program with the deepest sense of gratitude.
Click here for further details on the Solar Professionals Certificate Program and to apply for acceptance into the SEI Veterans and Active Duty Military Certificate Training Program. Additional scholarship funds may be available beyond the free PVOL101 course. Your Student Advisor can let you know about additional funds once you have filled out the program application.
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