Powering Their Futures
Students at the Solar Installation Training for Workforce Development program at Fort Myers Technical College learn how to install solar panels on a roof.
There is a lot more to installing solar than slapping some panels on a roof. There is plumbing, electrical, designing, choosing the proper materials for different types of roofs and more. Solar companies around Southwest Florida often have a hard time finding experts that can do all this.
That’s why Fort Myers Technical College just began a new Solar Installation Training for Workforce Development program. The first 10 students began in early January and will graduate at the end of May. They will be certified by NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners), known as the gold standard for training in the solar industry and will also secure their OSHA certification.
While there is some classroom work, most of it is hands-on. The school is set up like a house, with everything from a laundry room to a kitchen. By the end of the course, the students will know how to power the house completely by solar. There is also a room with all the latest electrical and digital technology for them to learn to use. Outside are metal, shingle, flat and round tile roofs for students to practice their solar panel installation. There is also a simulated swimming pool. Heating the pool is the first type of solar the students learn.
Grace Stanley puts solar panels on the roof of a makeshift house at Fort Myers Technical College. ANDREA STETSON/FLORIDA WEEKLY
Rick Vaske, the director and instructor, designed the course and wrote the book that the students are using. He taught the class one semester at a technical college in Charlotte County right before COVID, but the class was shut down due to the pandemic. Since then, Vaske has been updating the curriculum to include all the latest technology. He is excited to present Southwest Florida’s only technical college focusing on solar energy. Vaske said the program teaches students so much more than solar, so students can get a variety of jobs upon graduation.
“Solar combines it all,” Vaske stressed. “To be in solar, you have to hit, pitch and sell the peanuts at halftime.”
Students in the inaugural class are enjoying the lessons and are looking forward to lucrative future jobs.
Rick Vaske teaches students how to properly cut a PVC pipe. ANDREA STETSON/FLORIDA WEEKLY
“I have been learning all these new things,” said Grace Stanley. “We do plumbing, we do roofing, we do electrical. It is really nice to learn all these things because I will need them for solar. All of this will help me grow and do better in life.”
“I like the outdoors,” said Jose Castaneva. “I like hands-on jobs. I am interested in making the world better by using renewable energy.”
“I like to be hands-on, and I like all the trades that come with it,” added Yassin Vicens Padila. “They are all great skills to learn.”
The course goes beyond working with their hands. There is a computer program that they use to digitally layout a solar system on a roof. After creating the system, they pick the materials and parts and do a tool survey. Vaske said that is an important part of the education because they need to be prepared when they arrive at a job site.
Students also learn the latest and greatest in solar technology and Vaske is constantly updating his work to make sure he is teaching the newest things on the market. For example, students are learning how to install a Sphere Pro solar pool controller that senses temperature, turns the solar off and on and can be controlled by a cell phone.
The school is also used to certify current workers in the industry in various hardware and techniques.
“There are certifications for everything from battery wiring to electrical,” Vaske explained. “Just because you are in the field doesn’t mean you are certified.”
Next year, Vaske plans to expand his lessons. Estero High School will launch a solar academy using a portion of Vaske’s program starting in August 2025. The high school students will learn the fundamentals and history of solar energy, the basics of electricity, plumbing and roofing, solar electric installation and more.
“It will provide courses that will present information that will assist Florida in increasing the number and skill level of workers who are available to meet the needs of Florida’s current and emerging alternative energy industry,” said Doug Beck, a teacher at Estero High School who will lead the solar academy. “We are able to offer our students the ability to expand on their knowledge of the solar energy program to internships, externships and additional training from our partnership with Fort Myers Technical College. Under the leadership of the new superintendent, there has been a concerted effort to enhance the educational offerings, ensuring that students are not only well-prepared for college, but also equipped with practical skills that align with industry needs.”
Vaske has been in the solar business for 13 years. He is the owner of Positive Solar Energy, was CEO of a local solar company and also did energy sales for another company.
“I got into this 13 years ago, and I realized there were no real training programs. They just didn’t exist,” Vaske explained. “The biggest problem is untrained craftsmen, and I saw that hole in our industry. That is when I wrote the 600-hour curriculum for the Department of Education.”
Katie Scoville, associate director of Fort Myers Technical College, is glad to see the program starting there.
“We are always trying to look at the regional occupation demand list,” Scoville said. “It drives the funding and grants and the certification that students will get, and one of the careers in demand now is a lot of the solar stuff.”
Scoville plans to grow the program. Next year, she would like to see 15 students each semester. Since it is only a six-month course, that means they could graduate 30 students each year. Students apply online and are selected on a first-come, first-served basis.
“It only takes six months to complete, so that is a big draw for students,” Scoville said.
Vaske said the solar industry has been steadily growing since 2018, and Florida is one of the fastest-growing states for renewable energy employment.
“It is a really nice career,” said Andres Hernandez, one of the students. “I like all the trades that are outdoors.”
The course costs $4,600, but most students have it paid for with grants and assistance programs. Each student also receives about $2,000 worth of high-quality tools when they graduate.
“This is the first of its kind to do actual workforce development where students graduate with proper industry certifications, full installation training and a full tool kit where they are work-ready,” Vaske said. “I have pretty much a job for every one of them after they graduate. All of the companies are all excited. I have companies calling me from Tampa, Jacksonville, Miami. It has really become a great thing in our industry. I have really gotten a lot of attention from a lot of the companies.” ¦