The U.S. Department of Defense SkillBridge Program enables active duty service members to engage in career training in the months prior to transitioning to civilian life.
The SkillBridge program helps service members make a smooth transition from military service to civilian careers across various industries, and allows employers to capture top military talent as they’re exploring career options.There are several ways that solar industry employers can leverage the SkillBridge model to attract, train, and hire veteran talent.
Through the Solar Ready Vets Network, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) has worked with leading industry, training, and veteran service organizations to expand SkillBridge opportunities aligned with solar careers. The Skillbridge program has established three key pathways, with evergreen resources for solar employers to continue to leverage this program.
SkillBridge Pathways for Solar
Corporate and Skills-Based Fellowships
Through Corporate and Skills-Based Fellowships, service members are connected with solar employers for 12 weeks of work-based experience in a wide range of roles, intended to lead to full-time employment. This program is implemented nationwide by Hiring Our Heroes, and offers employers access to a natural recruitment pipeline of the best and brightest transitioning military talent as they’re exploring civilian career options. As of 2025, over 150 service members have been placed in fellowships with solar employers.
Check out the stories of past fellows here.
Employers interested in hosting fellows may apply through Hiring Our Heroes.
Corporate Fellowship:
service members with at least a bachelor’s degree and leadership experience are placed in management/professional roles, such as project management, business development, communications, policy, HR, operations, logistics, and more.
Skills-Based Fellowship:
service members without a four-year degree are placed in skilled trades and entry-level roles. Examples of roles that may be a good fit include skilled trades, construction, installation, technology, administration, and finance.
Recruit from a Partner Training Organization
In addition to Hiring Our Heroes, Solar Ready Vets has partnered with training providers that train service members through SkillBridge. During the Solar Ready Vets program, employer recruitment partnerships resulted in over 400 veteran graduates of these programs being hired by solar employers.
Airstreams Renewables:
prepares transitioning service members and veterans for entry-level careers in the renewable energy, telecommunications, and industrial sectors. Airstreams offers a six-week intensive training program targeting transitioning service members and veterans interested in careers in renewable energy and similar industries.
Home Builders Institute (HBI):
is the nation’s leading nonprofit provider of trade skills training and education for the building industry. They offer a 12-week pre-apprenticeship program at 10 military bases across the country that prepares transitioning service members for careers in construction.
To find and partner with other training organizations, use the DOD SkillBridge database.
Build Your Own
There are a limited number of SkillBridge programs specifically designed to support high-demand, early-career solar pathways. To address this, the Solar Ready Vets program developed four recommended program frameworks that solar employers can use to implement SkillBridge training. Frameworks are available for occupations including Solar Installation, Solar Operations & Maintenance, Solar Technical Sales, and Solar Design, each of which are designed to ensure that service members transitioning into civilian employment have the technical skills and knowledge to perform their roles safely and effectively. These frameworks have been approved by the SkillBridge program, and can be implemented by any employer.
These frameworks, and supplemental information for employers navigating the SkillBridge program, can be found in this report: Leveraging Military Veteran Talent Through SkillBridge Training: Recommendations for the Solar Industry.