About
Solar Austin is tackling the industry’s diversity challenge head-on by launching a structured internship matching program to place women and students of color at solar and other clean energy companies.
Through our grant-funded program, Solar Austin will recruit clean energy companies to engage to hire and mentor paid interns and students interested in accessing jobs in the solar and clean energy fields.
The goal of Solar Austin’s Pathways to Clean Energy Careers program
is to help facilitate avenues for underrepresented students into
Texas’ clean energy sector and to develop a set of
best practices for clean energy companies that want to improve
diversity and inclusivity in their recruitment, hiring, and retention of staff.
Careers in clean energy involve much more than project construction. These businesses employ individuals in sales, marketing, finance, administration, design, engineering, and other areas. With the Pathways program, Solar Austin will expose students from diverse backgrounds to the wide array of sustainability-focused job opportunities. These internships will provide students with access to jobs that pay at least a living wage and provide ample opportunity for advancement and professional mentorship. In the end, the Pathways program will foster more resilient and diverse organizations, as well as a more inclusive green jobs ecosystem.