IREC assembled some of the best experts in the country on solar training, education, and workforce development to create this compendium of Best Practices.  The documents were thoughtfully designed to give solar instructors the right tools for the job of training a highly skilled, globally competitive solar energy workforce for the 21st Century. This suite of Best Practices documents builds on IREC’s earlier versions of Best Practices from 2008 and 2010.

This fifth installment of the Solar Energy Education & Training Best Practices: The Series presents information on six exemplary solar education and training programs. These programs are complete, integrated, and well-organized and provide a solid foundation for those entering the solar workforce. They do not require signi?cant background, experience, and prerequisites of entering students.

The programs include a construction trade apprenticeship program, three multi-course certi?cate programs, and two Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree program options. The number of instructional hours ranges from a minimum of 420 to more than 1,000. Each of the programs possesses distinguishing attributes that makes it exemplary and deserving of review and possible emulation by institutions that are considering new solar program development.