About
Build a brighter future in alternative energy. SolarJobs SA is an education and workforce initiative that provides scholarships for students to earn degrees and certifications in solar energy while providing support services to ensure their success.
All coursework and training is provided at St. Philip’s College Southwest Campus.
Enroll
The Southwest Campus of St. Philip’s College in San Antonio is home to the Power Generation & Alternative Energy Program. The 2-year degree and certification program focuses on alternative power sources, including solar energy, wind energy, hydrogen fuel cell, energy storage, smart grid, and microgrid. It offers two degrees and six certifications.
Certifications
- PV Installation
- PV Technical Sales
- PV Design Specialist
- PV Installer Specialist
- PV Commissioning & Maintenance Specialist
- Solar Heating Installer
Associates Degrees
- Photovoltaics
- Solar Heating
St. Philip’s College is the only NABCAP-certified training center in South Central Texas. The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) is the most respected, well-known, and widely recognized certification organization for professionals in the renewable energy industry.
SolarJobs SA covers tuition for the program which is around $1,500 per semester, the fees to take the certification exams, books, equipment, and more.
To apply for the Power Generation & Alternative Energy Program at St. Philip’s College and receive funding from SolarJobs SA, contact Craig Overmiller, Program Director, at covermiller@alamo.edu.
Partners
OCI Solar Power, one of the leading utility-scale solar developers in Texas, initiated SolarJobs SA as a way to give back to the City of San Antonio – a city it has called home since 2012. Recognizing their expertise in the solar business, OCI Solar Power turned to a local institution and two organizations that could help take their idea for an education and workforce initiative and make it a reality. OCI Solar Power partnered with St. Philip’s College, Project Quest, and the San Antonio Area Foundation. Together they were able to kick off the initiative in the spring of 2023.
St. Philip’s College is one of five schools that comprise the Alamo Colleges District (ACD). ACD serves Bexar County residents by providing one- and two-year degree and certification programs. St. Philip’s is the only college federally designated as both a historically black college and a Hispanic-serving institution.
Project QUEST (Quality Employment through Skills Training) was established in 1993 to provide San Antonio’s unemployed and underemployed citizens with job training and placement services.
The San Antonio Area Foundation (SAAF), the City’s philanthropic foundation, helps close opportunity gaps by providing grants, community initiatives, resources, and training
Organizational Chart
Program Sponsor
Program Manager
Services:
- Adjunct Stipend
- Classroom Supplies
- Classroom Equipment
- Marketing Materials
- NACEP State License
- Instructor Certification
- Testing Fees
- Consumables
- Textbooks
- Tools
Scholarships:
Institutional Advancement & Grants Development Department
Student Services:
- Adjunct Stipend
- Classroom Supplies
- Classroom Equipment
- Marketing Materials
- NACEP State License
Job Placement:
- Instructor Certification
- Testing Fees
- Consumables
- Textbooks
- Tools
History
The demand for solar professionals is on the rise, but San Antonio, Texas offered few opportunities for interested candidates to get educated, trained, tested, and certified without having to leave town. OCI Solar Power, the only utility-scale solar developer headquartered in the Alamo City, initiated the creation of SolarJobs SA to re-energize the Power Generation & Alternative Energy Program at St. Philip’s College and provide students with free assistance, from scholarships to job placement.
Thanks to great partners – St. Philip’s College, Project Quest, and the San Antonio Area Foundation – SolarJobs SA is now an education and workforce initiative that benefited it’s first round of students in the spring of 2023. A news conference announcing the success of the first semester of SolarJobs SA took place in May.
Contact Us
To learn more about and enroll in the Power Generation & Alternative Energy Program at St. Philip’s College and receive free tuition through SolarJobs SA, please fill out the form below.
