Two electricians will receive paid solar panel training and work experience from the City of Madison as part of a broader local push toward renewable energy.
The Green Power program will train 15 candidates of which the top two will have the opportunity to work for the city as solar panel installers. City officials said the initiative is a unique way for the city to promote carbon efficiency while achieving equitable outcomes.
The city believes demand for renewable energy such as solar power will grow, Matt Parks, city master electrician, said. Green Power hopes to feed this growth, he added, while also pulling candidates from low income advancement programs, such as Operation Fresh Start — which connects youth with education and employment opportunities.
“We’re hoping to get trainees from targeted neighborhoods and increase solar collection on our buildings,” Parks said.
According to a statement, 30 applicants will be chosen for further testing, of these 15 will be eligible for 3-day training starting March 28. Parks said so far he has received more than 90 applications and as master electrician he has significant authority in determining what criteria candidates must meet.
Parks will train the final two candidates and work with them to install panels on city buildings through programs focused on increasing solar production on city buildings such as MadiSUN.
On top of learning how to install solar panels, Parks added that trainees will be taught state electrical codes and basic electrical work. He said training will also adhere to Occupational Safety and Health Administration safety guidelines, such as when a hard hat is needed and the proper use of a harness.
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“It’s basically a pre-apprenticeship program, the idea is that after this they will have some skill that will place them higher on apprenticeship selection,” Parks said.
In addition to fitting within clean energy programs, Green Power also has hopes to further the city’s push toward racial equity, Tariq Saqqaf, neighborhood resource coordinator, said.
The training hopes to educate several applicants from communities with particularly high barriers to entry, Saqqaf said.
“It’s a priority across efforts that we reach out to the folks who are most in need and providing that opportunity for them,” Saqqaf said.
The program will be the first time the city has used practical departments to combat racial disparities. The parks department and city engineering has historically worked with at risk youth through programs like Operation Fresh Start, Saqqaf said.
Saqqaf said the city’s engineering department has pioneered programs when it comes to equity. Engineering was the first to independently seek out youth interns from the surrounding community, he added.
The engineering department laid the ground work for broader internship programs later introduced by Mayor Paul Soglin, Saqqaf said. In 2014, the community development division, at request of the mayor, had 20 students work within different divisions of the city.
Saqqaf said the push for providing opportunity to young people in the community has continued to grow. In the summer of 2016, he said the city expects 50 new interns.
As for the Green Power program, Parks said he believes the program will be a great chance for students.
“It’s an absolutely one of a kind training, I don’t know any other city where they’ve done this,” Parks said.
