A new generation of solar professionals is rising in Cape Town. The second cohort of the Solar Youth Project has just completed an intensive eight-week training course and is ready to take on the next stage, 10 months of work experience. Meanwhile, the first group of trainees has returned for their final round of assessments, bringing their year-long solar training journey full circle.
Now the pressure is on to find host companies in the solar industry who are willing to take these ambitious young interns under their wing, and ideally into long-term employment.
Developed in a partnership between Life Choices and GREEN Solar Academy, the Solar Youth Project is a groundbreaking programme designed to close the gap between South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis and the country’s desperate need for skilled solar technicians. “The need for trained talent in the solar sector is enormous and we’re providing it,” says Amanda Dzivhani, COO of GREEN Solar Academy. “But unless these young people are absorbed into the workforce, we’re only winning half the battle.”
Youth training backed by industry excellence
The Solar Youth Project is not a government programme. It’s a privately driven initiative founded on over 20 years of experience in technical education and youth development. The training model is simple but effective: eight weeks of blended technical and soft skills training, followed by a 10-month structured internship with a solar company. The programme culminates in a final round of training and assessment to consolidate the learning and prepare the interns for permanent employment.
The participants, aged 22 to 28, all hold N4 to N6 electrical engineering qualifications from TVET colleges and have undergone training aligned with the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE), South African Photovoltaic Industry (SAPVIA) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sonnenenergie (DGS) standards. The technical content is built on GREEN Solar Academy’s internationally accredited curriculum. “These young people have the qualifications, the hands-on training, and the drive,” says Vuyo Ntlangu, impact pathways manager at Life Choices. “What they need now is the opportunity to show what they’re capable of.”
Holistic support for workplace success
What makes the programme unique is its strong emphasis on personal and professional development training and the wrap-around support provided to the youth in the internship phase. Life Choices, a seasoned youth empowerment organisation that operates from its Lansdowne campus, runs this part of the programme providing youth with the knowledge, tools and resources to be successful in the workplace.
“We’re not just creating interns, we’re producing well-rounded, work-ready junior solar technicians,” says Ryan Geel, campus director at Life Choices. “And we’re looking for forward-thinking companies to help us turn that training into careers.”
A working model in action
In a country where youth development is often more slogan than solution, the Solar Youth Project stands out as a rare example of action over promises. “Everyone’s talking about youth training, we’re doing it,” says Antje Klauss-Vorreiter, CEO of GREEN Solar Academy. “And it’s happening in Cape Town, at Life Choices’ Academy in Lansdowne, where professionals and youth train under the same roof, with the same high standards.”
That’s a key differentiator. Life Choices Academy in Cape Town is also the implementing partner of GREEN Solar Academy’s professional training, one of 13 GREEN academies across Africa. The co-location means that the same trainers who teach professional installers also lead the technical training for the youth, ensuring quality, relevance and consistency.
The academy is also open to professionals looking to upskill through short, accredited courses in PV system design, installation and compliance. The same expertise that equips professional installers is now being channelled into preparing the next generation. This isn’t a side project, it’s the academy’s existing excellence applied with purpose to youth development.
Call to the industry: help us hire them
With over 40 youth now trained or in training, the programme’s success hinges on one last step, industry absorption. Host companies are asked to offer 10-month internships, provide mentorship and ideally retain interns as full-time employees thereafter.
Interns have already been placed in some businesses through the GREENetwork - GREEN’s continent-wide alumni and partner platform but more placements are urgently needed. Companies interested in participating receive full support from Life Choices and GREEN, including HR templates, mentorship resources, monthly check-ins and PR promotion. Stipends are subsidised by an external donor.
“These young people are skilled, work-ready and excited to prove their worth. What’s missing is the bridge to employment. That’s where host companies and long-term partnerships can make all the difference,” concludes Mignon Hardie, managing director at Life Choices.
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