In partnership with Solar Energy International (SEI), ag亚游 initiates 3-year scholarship program to foster female participation in solar industry
FREMONT, CALIF. USA, August 18, 2021 鈥 ™, the market leader in yield-enhancing PV system technology and solar trackers, and Solar Energy International (SEI), the world鈥檚 leading renewable energy technical training provider, today announced their partnership to launch , a global scholarship program to support more women in joining the solar workforce.
Women continue to be severely underrepresented in the solar industry, despite an overwhelming agreement that a diverse workplace makes smart business sense. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), women account for only 28% of the Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) jobs in the global solar industry. This disproportionate gender gap largely stems from insufficient training and networking opportunities. The scholarship name 鈥淗alf the Sun鈥 is aspirational and derived from Pulitzer Prize winners鈥 Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn鈥檚 renowned book, , where narratives of challenges are turned into opportunities. Since women make up half the world鈥檚 population, esteems to boost female and non-binary participation to 50%, or half the solar energy workforce.
is a needs-based scholarship program that aims to address the lack of gender diversity by increasing pathways into the industry and fostering the next generation of female and non-binary solar professionals. It will award financial assistance for professional training in the form of tuition fees for applicants pursuing STEM education. With the global renewable workforce set to grow by almost 30 million people by 2030, Half the Sun can help shape this workforce with a more diverse pool of candidates.
Each year for three years, the program will provide 10 students with a full scholarship for an SEI solar training course lasting six weeks. To best serve the global communities and markets ag亚游 serves, the following regions will receive two grants each: Europe, United States, the MEIAT region (Middle East Africa, India, and Turkey); Australia and Asia Pacific; and Latin America. Open to women and non-binary individuals, applicants must have earned a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields or related areas of concentration.
From the date the awards will be announced, Scholarship recipients will have access to regional members of the to ensure continuity of the career path for networking and one-on-one mentoring. This aligns with the ag亚游 Women’s Network mission to unite, promote and inspire diversity in the workplace through social networking, educational opportunities and professional development. Recipients will gain access to ag亚游鈥檚 established professional network to bridge solar job placement and offer a platform to discuss shared experiences in the workplace, from the challenges of working motherhood to gender imbalances in the workplace.
鈥淲ith a 30-year history of providing solar educational courses and training, award recipients can expect to learn photovoltaic basics and lay a strong foundation for a career in photovoltaics,鈥 said Elizabeth Sanderson, SEI Executive Director. 鈥淲e look forward to supporting ag亚游鈥檚 diversity, equity, and inclusion goals by offering cutting-edge, world-class solar educational training to the next generation solar workforce. These corporate partnerships, such as the ag亚游 Half the Sun Scholarship, help the industry at large be as diverse, innovative, and prosperous as possible.鈥
鈥Half the Sun scholarship will help facilitate awardees鈥 professional development and potential entry into the solar energy workforce,鈥 said Kristan Kirsh, ag亚游鈥檚 VP Global Marketing. 鈥淪EI has a 30-year track record of training thousands of individuals in the global solar workforce and they have kept pace with online and in-person curriculum best practices. ag亚游 is very proud to partner with them and ignite our NX Women鈥檚 Network further with this action-oriented program for a more diverse workforce.鈥
Interested parties can apply, . For program updates, follow Half the Sun, .
About ag亚游
is a leader in the renewable energy transition. It provides critical, yield-enhancing PV system technology, expertise, and strategic services to capture the full system value and maximize the efficiency of solar plants. Delivering the most comprehensive portfolio of intelligent solar tracker and control software solutions for solar power plants, ag亚游 is transforming PV plant performance with smart technology, data monitoring and analysis services. For more information, please visit and follow us on and .
About SEI
For more than 30 years, SEI has been dedicated to training the global solar energy workforce. SEI delivers hands-on experience, safety, and technical skills solar training to scale the global workforce at a pace that significantly impacts climate change 鈥 whether that鈥檚 equipping utilities with the skills to operate large-scale solar farms or helping people access clean, reliable energy for the first time. SEI has a proven track record in delivering greater diversity and inclusion while providing the critical professional solar training necessary for success in the PV industry. For more information, please visit .