Southeastern North Carolinians Can Kick-start Solar Careers with NC State’s Free Solar Training Bootcamp
Article sections
Solar Training Bootcamp hosted at Sampson Community College will prepare residents of Southeastern NC for careers in the solar industry.
Do you have education and workforce development contacts in Southeastern North Carolina? Know someone there who would be interested in breaking into the solar industry?
The NC Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) is excited to partner with NC State University’s College of Natural Resources (CNR) and Sampson Community College (SCC) to offer a free solar training bootcamp. The bootcamp will be held July 19 to July 24, 2026, in-person at Sampson Community College.
Applications will be accepted until May 15, space is limited and early submissions are encouraged. Apply today!
The solar industry offers a wide range of opportunities including residential roof-top solar, disaster response, agricultural applications, operations and maintenance, and large-scale solar. This bootcamp is intended to prepare participants for careers in the solar industry, such as solar design, installation, maintenance, sales and more.
This program will place trainees on a direct path to a career in the solar industry. Training Program Manager at NCCETC Allison Carr says, “our ultimate goal is to connect students with internships, apprenticeships, or full-time jobs in the solar industry. We know there are many types of educational pathways to jobs. We will support students by matching their interests and skills with the training and mentorship needed to start a great career.”
The program is recruiting participants who are based in southeastern North Carolina. The twelve counties included in the program are: Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, New Hanover, Pender, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, and Scotland.
The project’s focus area includes all of the counties in Lumbee Tribal Territory – Robeson, Hoke, Cumberland and Scotland Counties. This summer’s bootcamp will be held immediately adjacent to Lumbee Tribal Territory, at SCC. Future bootcamps will be held in Lumbee Tribal Territory at the Thomas Entrepreneurship Hub at UNC Pembroke with 10+ participants per session. The program will train more than 60 adult participants and prepare them for seeking jobs related to solar and clean energy.
Trainees will participate in a 5.5-day training program developed by NC State, UNC Pembroke, and SCC, which provides both technical training and hands-on experience in solar technologies. Participants will also be matched with mentors and will engage with industry professionals to develop essential workplace skills that will contribute to career preparation for the solar industry.
Participants who complete the bootcamp will be supported by their mentors in obtaining employment, internships, additional certificates, or degree programs. The combination of training and mentorship is intended to build solar career pathways for mid-tier and upper-tier solar energy jobs for program participants.
No prior experience is required and supporting services are available as needed. Participants must be 18 years of age or older. Recent high school graduates are welcome; a GED or high school diploma is required to participate in the program.
Key partners on this project, funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, include two members of the Lumbee Tribe – Ed Hunt, Kate B. Reynolds Coordinator at the Thomas Entrepreneurship Hub, UNC Pembroke, and Christina Theodorou, Senior Program Manager, NC Growth, Kenan Institute at UNC Chapel Hill.
NCCETC is actively working with Ed, Christina, and the Lumber River Workforce Development Board to recruit members of Lumbee Tribe for the free bootcamps to be held over the next three years.
The Center is also working with the NC Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs (NCDMVA) to promote the bootcamps to vets and transitioning military personnel in eastern North Carolina, especially those from Fort Bragg.
Learn more and apply here or copy and paste https://go.ncsu.edu/solarbootcamps in your browser.