Green job creation in Ontario is poised to reach unprecedented heights as the province continues to unleash new renewable energy projects under its ambitious Green Energy Act. Just in the past year, Ontario has announced 184 private-sector projects totaling more than $9 billion, Samsung C&T is spending $7 billion and building four wind and solar manufacturing plants throughout the province, and OYA Solar plans to invest $180 million in its own solar projects.

Countless new jobs are expected to accompany this explosive growth, as are training programs designed to certify Ontario’s expanding green workforce. With billions in investment floating around for large-scale and micro-projects, the province is well positioned to reverse the economic decline it has faced during this most recent recession. And this is just for the renewable energy projects that are already in the planning stages. When one factors in the “theoretical” growth potential of the region, the numbers are even more staggering.

A study conducted by Queen University’s Applied Sustainability Research Group indicates that a $2.5 billion solar panel manufacturing plant could directly create 1,778 new jobs on-site with an additional 28,000 indirect jobs. Numbers like these help to explain why green job training and other cottage industries have begun cropping up throughout the province

Solar Job Preparation

Canada has demonstrated its commitment to cultivating an attractive environment for companies seeking to enter and expand in the solar energy market. However, investment opportunities will only flourish if the industry has a skilled workforce capable of supporting continued development. For many of these new green opportunities, job preparation is often necessary - for example solar PV installation requires very specific skills only found in formal solar training programs.

One such program, Ontario Solar Academy, recently expanded the number of solar installation training courses it runs each month to better service the growing green economy. It offers five-day solar installation classes based on standards set by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP). Associate Director, David Gower, explains, ”Ontario actually has very few official guidelines governing solar PV installation, but consumer demand for qualified solar professionals has created an unofficial barrier to those who lack the proper design and installation skills.”