Preparing youth for the STEM careers of the future is our focus at Lumity. When accomplishing that goal means that our employer partners benefit as well, the impact is amplified. Our newest collaboration with a visionary company called Lumena Energy illustrates just how mutually beneficial these relationships can be.
Lumena Energy is “a power on demand” technology company, according to CEO and founder David Jones. The initial spark for creating a company like Lumena came to David 10 years ago while he was backpacking through Thailand. He spotted a boy doing homework at a desk outside a convenience store. He wondered why, so he struck up a conversation with the boy’s parents. They explained that electrical service to their home was unreliable, so they had improvised a spot where their son could get his schoolwork done.
The encounter made a powerful impression on David, who discovered that about half of the global population lives with that kind of uncertainty. He decided to take action to change that narrative in the future.
Fast forward to 2019, when David founded Lumena, a “virtual power plant” provider network. Lumena’s network incorporates all forms of renewable energy, with a special emphasis on solar. David’s company will eventually need to hire 10,000 solar energy workers. His partnership with Lumity is an early step in getting him to that goal.
Working in close collaboration with David and his team, Lumity launched the PV101 and Solar Panel Installation Training Program. This pilot program, made possible by a one-time grant from the Allstate Foundation, is a green energy workforce program.
Late last year, Lumity celebrated the graduation of its first cohort of solar energy workforce trainees. Over the course of their 16-week program, participants learned everything from energy fundamentals to how to build solar structures and install solar panels. Their new skills and knowledge are already in use because every single graduate from this initial cohort has joined David’s team at Lumena. Some are working as solar panel installers. Others are helping build a clean energy workforce in their new roles as solar energy instructors.
“As we move towards massive decarbonization in Chicago and across Illinois, we will see higher and higher demand for skilled workers in this sector,” said David. “Our partnership with Lumity is one of our most valued. We’re aligning their mission of getting more young people into STEM careers with our vision for building a pioneering, decentralized solution that provides reliable, clean energy to all.”
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