Earlier this year, Nexamp launched its second national headquarters in Chicago at an event featuring Governor JB Pritzker and Representative Danny K. Davis (D-IL). As part of that announcement, Nexamp committed to hiring an additional 50 team members and investing more than $2 billion in the state through its existing projects and robust development pipeline.

Now, Nexamp has been named a Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) employer in Illinois by the U.S. Department of Labor. The designation was announced last week, during National Apprenticeship Week. It comes about as a result of the company’s extensive workforce development initiatives, which include a successful STEM-based fellowship program with the City Colleges of Chicago as well as the Solar Sunrise program that provides participants with a one-year rotational experience across multiple Nexamp business units leading to a full-time career opportunity.

“Since we first announced our second headquarters location in Chicago this past February, our focus has been on expanding job opportunities for underrepresented communities in the Chicagoland area,” notes Marion Jones, VP of Workforce Development and DEIJ Engagement, Nexamp. “A successful energy transition requires a skilled and knowledgeable workforce, and those opportunities must be accessible to all communities. By offering apprenticeships and working closely with educational institutions in the area, we are expanding the pool of clean energy workers that is so desperately needed today.”

The U.S. Department of Labor administers the Registered Apprenticeship Program to help ensure a strong and equitable post-pandemic economic recovery by connecting all Americans to good jobs in priority industry sectors, and among populations disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Registered Apprenticeship Programs enable employers to develop and train their future workforce while offering career seekers affordable paths to obtain secure, quality, high-paying jobs.

“In Illinois, we’re building the workforce of the future through world-class education and apprenticeship opportunities,” says Governor JB Pritzker. “I’m thankful to our partners at Nexamp for their continued investments in Illinois’ success, including the opening of their second Chicago headquarters and this new U.S. DOL apprenticeship program. This program will undoubtedly ensure the next generation is well-prepared for the skilled labor workforce, all while creating more good-paying jobs and equitable opportunities along the way.”

“This is another milestone in our commitment to inclusivity as we build out the grid of the future,” explains Nexamp CEO Zaid Ashai. “Just as we view our responsibility to make the benefits of clean energy generation universally accessible, we believe that the learning and employment opportunities created by the process are to be shared with everyone. Recognition from the Department of Labor underscores the value of the program our team has worked hard to create.”

Chris Perron, Senior Vice President of Clean Energy Deployment, Nexamp, adds, “The construction and operation of all these renewable energy resources creates enormous opportunity for employment. Skilled workers are in high demand, and we must do our part to ensure that we are preparing the workforce to provide the services that will be required as we transition our energy infrastructure from the past to the future.”

Nexamp builds, owns, and operates distributed generation and storage projects that feed renewable energy to the power grid. The company has roughly 75 projects in operation or under development in Illinois that will create nearly 4,000 jobs and generate close to 300 MW of energy, which is enough to offset the power needs of 50,000 average households. Nexamp will continue to expand its workforce development efforts across the country, bringing workers from all backgrounds into rewarding careers within the renewable energy industry.