The cost of training shouldn't stop you from starting a sustainable career. Here are 12 programs that offer free or fully-funded training in clean energy and sustainable industries.

Employer-sponsored programs

Some of the best free training comes directly from employers who need skilled workers. These programs often come with guaranteed job interviews or direct hiring.

1. Tesla START Program

Focus: EV technician training
Duration: 12 weeks
Cost: Free (through partner community colleges)
Tesla partners with community colleges to offer intensive technician training. Graduates are interviewed for positions at Tesla service centers. The program is highly competitive but offers a direct path to a Tesla career.

2. Vestas Wind Technician Program

Focus: Wind turbine maintenance
Duration: 6 weeks
Cost: Free + paid during training
Vestas, one of the world's largest wind turbine manufacturers, hires technicians and trains them on the job. You get paid while learning, and job placement is essentially guaranteed.

3. Sunrun Installation Training

Focus: Solar installation
Duration: 2-4 weeks
Cost: Free (for new hires)
Sunrun hires installer helpers and provides on-the-job training. No prior experience required — just physical fitness and willingness to learn.

Government-funded programs

Federal and state workforce development programs offer free training in high-demand fields, including clean energy.

4. Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) Training

Focus: Energy efficiency, weatherization
Duration: 4-8 weeks
Cost: Free
Community Action Agencies across the country offer free weatherization technician training. These programs are federally funded and often include job placement assistance.

5. WIOA-funded Clean Energy Training

Focus: Various clean energy fields
Duration: Varies
Cost: Free (for eligible participants)
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds free job training for unemployed or underemployed adults. Many American Job Centers offer clean energy training tracks.

6. State Energy Apprenticeships

Focus: Solar, electrical, HVAC
Duration: 1-4 years
Cost: Free + paid apprentice wage
Many states have registered apprenticeship programs in clean energy fields. You earn while you learn, with wages increasing as you gain skills.

Nonprofit and foundation programs

Several nonprofits focus specifically on providing free clean energy training to underserved communities.

7. GRID Alternatives Solar Training

Focus: Solar installation
Duration: 40-80 hours
Cost: Free
GRID Alternatives provides free solar installation training, often combined with real-world installation experience on low-income housing projects. They operate in multiple states.

8. Solar Ready Colorado

Focus: Solar installation
Duration: 4 weeks
Cost: Free
This program targets unemployed and underemployed Colorado residents, providing comprehensive solar training with job placement support.

9. BlocPower Clean Energy Academy

Focus: Building electrification, HVAC
Duration: 8-12 weeks
Cost: Free
BlocPower trains technicians to install heat pumps and building electrification systems, with a focus on hiring from underserved communities.

Scholarship and grant opportunities

Even programs with tuition costs often have scholarship opportunities that can make training free.

10. NABCEP Foundation Scholarships

Focus: Solar certification exam fees
Value: Up to $400
The NABCEP Foundation offers scholarships to cover certification exam costs, helping reduce barriers to professional credentials.

11. Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) Training Grants

Focus: Various clean energy training
Value: Varies
IREC partners with training providers to offer reduced-cost or free training in renewable energy fields.

12. Utility-sponsored training

Focus: Energy efficiency, solar
Value: Free or subsidized training
Many electric utilities sponsor workforce development programs in their service areas. Check with your local utility about training opportunities.

How to find free training near you

Here's how to uncover free training opportunities in your area:

  1. Visit your local American Job Center — They know about WIOA-funded programs and local opportunities
  2. Contact community colleges — Ask about workforce development programs and scholarships
  3. Check with Community Action Agencies — They often run weatherization and energy efficiency training
  4. Apply directly to employers — Many train on the job with no upfront cost
  5. Search union apprenticeships — Electrical and HVAC unions offer paid training

Don't let cost hold you back

The clean energy transition needs workers — millions of them. That's why so many programs exist to train people at no cost. Your job is to find them and apply.

Start by exploring training programs on Humanity Social. Filter by cost to find free and low-cost options in your area.