White Earth Tribal & Community College teams up with Minnesota Power to create solar workforce

White Earth Tribal & Community College teams up with Minnesota Power to create solar workforce

Partnerships in Northern Minnesota create new workforce opportunities

MAHNOMEN, MINN. – To help its students tap into Minnesota’s fast-growing clean energy workforce, White Earth Tribal & Community College (WETCC), in partnership with the Rural Renewable Energy Alliance (RREAL) launched a solar training certificate program during the pandemic. This summer, the program’s participants were offered an additional opportunity of paid on-the-job training with Minnesota Power.

The WETCC training program is a 45-hour solar photovoltaic class that allows students to earn their registered unlicensed individual certification. This certification qualifies them to work on solar job sites and provides a solid start to becoming North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) certified solar installers.

Clean Energy Economy MN (CEEM) visited the college and the interns working on a 15MW utility-grade solar site near Brainerd this summer. The partnership is featured in a new video and story, available here.

“This is a story about tapping into the potential of Minnesota’s clean energy economy,” said CEEM Director of Communications and Public Affairs Amelia Cerling Hennes. “White Earth Tribal and Community College in partnership with the Rural Renewable Energy Alliance have built a solid foundation for their students to get the necessary training to start solar energy careers. The clean energy industry needs more workers and the White Earth community needs jobs – it’s a natural fit and I’m really excited to see where this program goes next.”

“Within the native community, there’s always a need for good work, and this is a technology and skill set we can offer the community that will allow these students to go out and get some good paying jobs,” says RREAL solar instructor George Lemelin.

Lemelin wants this effort to extend beyond the certificate program and internship. He also wants to offer the full NABCEP course at the college. His vision also includes launching Global Link, LLC, a native-owned solar business that will be a pipeline for full time work for graduates of the program. The business is scheduled to launch in January of 2023.

Bridget Guiza is WETCC’s Customized Education Coordinator and describes the significance of building solar energy installation skills in the community.

“Clean energy and energy sovereignty go hand-in-hand, and to me it’s about understanding the world around us and creating a sustainable future for all,” says Guiza. “Indigenous peoples are leading those efforts on White Earth and are being active participants in their futures and the futures of the next seven generations. Participants of this program have the opportunity to close the wealth disparity, and that has impacts for generations to come – and it starts with this generation.”

Minnesota Power offered seven WETCC solar graduates an internship opportunity to spend three days on a 15MW utility scale solar job site in Sylvan, Minnesota. The students worked with Hunt Electric, the contractor in charge of the jobsite, and were paid to assist with all parts of the ongoing work from racking to placing panels.

Minnesota Power’s partnership with WETCC and RREAL was a response to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission call for Minnesota utilities to increase their efforts in expanding workforce opportunities to help with economic recovery during the pandemic.

“Minnesota Power is proud to partner with White Earth and RREAL and provide students with valuable on-the-job experience in this fast-growing area of the clean energy industry,” said Paul Helstrom, Renewable Energy Program Lead for Minnesota Power. “An experienced and dedicated solar workforce is vital for the clean energy future that Minnesota Power and other energy providers are building, and internships like these offer students a pathway to a good job. Perhaps this program will inspire other groups and tribal community colleges to pursue opportunities for increasing the number of people working in solar.”

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About Clean Energy Economy MN (CEEM): CEEM is an industry-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit representing the business case for clean energy in Minnesota. CEEM provides a unified voice for clean energy business across the state. Our mission is to provide educational leadership, collaboration, and policy analysis that accelerates clean energy market growth and smart energy policies. Learn more at www.cleanenergyeconomymn.org