October 25, 2013

Chicago! IREC Connects with Industry @SPI

We just spent an incredibly productive four days at Solar Power International 2013 (SPI) in Chicago. The IREC Credentialing Program presented and met with the solar industry on the exhibit floor to engage the industry and help them understand the value of credentialing.

We just spent an incredibly productive four days at Solar Power International 2013 (SPI) in Chicago. The IREC Credentialing Program presented and met with the solar industry on the exhibit floor to engage the industry and help them understand the value of credentialing.

The solar market is growing and, as reported by the Solar Foundation, this is creating jobs across the country.  Both of these facts raise the importance of credentialing. An assessment process grounded in a foundation of industry-validated standards is an essential building block for a growing market.  Credentials provide an indicator to help consumers and industry clearly identify value.

We spoke with the industry at SPI about the market value of the IREC Training Provider Accreditation, and the Instructor and Master Trainer Certifications. It was a lively week filled with useful information on quality workforce development. Look for news about steps we’re taking to broaden the understanding and impact of credentialing in the clean energy industry through the combined efforts of the top credentialing organizations uniquely focused on clean energy.

Several of the core requirements for accreditation or certification from IREC demand a strong linkage with industry. We believe that our Credentialing Program needs to meet a threshold for connecting with industry as well.

Through our activities at SPI, we aimed to actively listen, build bridges and broaden our engagement with industry representatives, to ensure that our standards and our credentials continue to raise the bar and support the need for high quality workforce development.

I look forward to sharing more about what we learned in the upcoming months.