Virginia’s Community Colleges recently announced a $4 million economic investment over the next two years to support curriculum development and FastForward workforce training in the rapidly growing fields of utility-scale solar energy and heavy construction. The press release cited, “Southside Virginia Community College (SVCC) is among the institutions to develop programs that can be expanded across the commonwealth as the demand grows for skilled workers in the solar energy field.”

According to the release SVCC will receive funds to work with businesses in the energy industry to develop and deploy the Virginia Solar Workforce Initiative, a first-in-the-state curriculum and training program for the utility-scale solar industry. The need for utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) installers, who earn an average starting salary of $42,000-50,000, is emerging in Virginia, and the U.S. Department of Energy reports the solar energy sector is poised for robust growth.

“The Virginia Solar Workforce Initiative is an exceptional example of a public-private partnership,” said Dr. Al Roberts, president of SVCC. “These jobs represent an excellent opportunity for Virginians to be a part of this dynamic, high-growth industry, and we’re excited to partner with industry leaders in the utility-scale solar field, the Maryland-DC-Delaware-Virginia Solar Energy Industries Association, to create this program.”

SVCC solar classes will be held at a laboratory under construction now at the Occupational-Technical Center located at Pickett Park in Blackstone. The solar energy industry is a dynamic and fast-growing sector of the economy with opportunities for rapid advancement, several career pathways and skills that can transfer to a variety of fields. Virginia’s utility-scale solar market has grown dramatically in recent years and is poised to create even more jobs.

Since July 2016, Virginians who trained in FastForward programs at community colleges have earned more than 11,000 valuable industry recognized workforce credentials. FastForward training programs are specifically geared toward the needs of local businesses and offer students affordable access to new careers in weeks or months instead of semesters and years.

“FastForward is benefiting both the individuals who earn credentials in high demand fields and the businesses that are eager to hire skilled employees,” said Glenn DuBois, chancellor of Virginia’s Community Colleges. “These strategic investments will bolster those talent pipelines feeding these emerging industries and prepare even more people for these good-paying careers.”

Find out more about FastForward at www.fastforwardva.org.