U.S. DOE Selects Two Winners in Prize to Practice Employees for Expert Jobs in Photo voltaic Manufacturing Workforce

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Prize Will Assist Practice Manufacturing Employees for a Surge of New Services

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Division of Vitality (DOE) introduced the winners within the first spherical of the American-Made Upskill Prize for the Photo voltaic Manufacturing Workforce (Upskill Prize). The 2 chosen groups will obtain as much as $500,000 every to implement complete workforce coaching plans, aiming to help high-quality employment prospects and talent units that may be utilized for profession progress and numerous alternatives throughout the photo voltaic manufacturing business. DOE additionally opened a second spherical of the prize for brand spanking new candidates.

“The photo voltaic business is flourishing, spurring job progress and growing the demand for expert staff,” stated Jeff Marootian, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Vitality Effectivity and Renewable Vitality. “We’re excited to help these prize winners with funding for workforce coaching partnerships that foster inclusion and create new pathways to good paying jobs and careers in clear vitality.”

The photo voltaic manufacturing sector is predicted so as to add greater than 35,000 new jobs following practically $17 billion in deliberate investments because of the Biden-Harris Administration’s technique to strengthen America’s manufacturing and industrial competitiveness. The DOE Photo voltaic Vitality Applied sciences Workplace (SETO) launched the Upskill Prize in March of 2024 to handle challenges in scaling the U.S. photo voltaic manufacturing workforce. The prize encourages partnerships to coach staff in highly-skilled jobs that producers have struggled to fill, together with semiconductor processors, manufacturing gear technicians, and operators.

The Spherical 1 winners are:

• Louisiana First Photo voltaic Drive: This challenge is a collaboration between the College of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL) and First Photo voltaic to ascertain a semiconductor technical coaching heart targeted on thin-film photo voltaic processes to help the workforce at First Photo voltaic’s new Louisiana facility. The coaching heart will likely be positioned at ULL Analysis Park and supply coaching for operators, technicians, engineers, knowledge scientists, and managers.
• Coaching in Photo voltaic Manufacturing: Crossroads Photo voltaic Enterprises and the Purdue College Manufacturing Extension Partnership are partnering to supply photo voltaic manufacturing coaching to returning residents. The coaching will help each new and incumbent staff at Crossroads Photo voltaic on matters together with gear upkeep and high quality administration. Workers may even obtain a certificates from Purdue after finishing coaching.

Spherical 2 contestants ought to submit functions by November 20. Successful groups will obtain as much as $500,000 every for his or her submissions. View the official guidelines and signal as much as compete.

The Upskill Prize enhances ongoing SETO investments in an inclusive photo voltaic workforce, together with a $13.5 million funding program comprised of 12 initiatives targeted on launching coaching partnerships to increase the photo voltaic vitality workforce.

Learn extra about SETO’s photo voltaic workforce growth and PV manufacturing efforts.

Courtesy of U.S. DOE.