How Jordan Powered Up His Future With Clean Energy Training

Jordan and his graduating class completed a building rehabilitation project for our Dulcinea group home.

After years of feeling stuck in work that offered little room to grow, Jordan decided it was time for a change.

“I had been kind of at a dead end for a long time,” he said. “I wasn’t really making much money, and I was struggling. I wanted to turn a new leaf and get my life on track.”

While searching for new career options online, Jordan came across a Reddit discussion about solar training programs in Chicago. One recommendation jumped out at him in the comments: Association House’s Clean Energy Training Program. What he found in the program would help launch him into an entirely new industry.

Jordan had considered the trades before, but he wanted a career that felt purposeful as well as practical. Solar energy stood out to him as a field where he could build a stable career while contributing to something bigger.

“I wanted to do something that I cared about,” he said. “Solar just felt like a natural fit because I care about climate change and where we're headed next with energy.”

Association House’s program offered exactly what Jordan needed: hands-on training, industry-recognized certifications, and a supportive learning environment designed to help people enter the growing clean energy workforce.

Jordan graduated from the Core Construction unit of the Clean Energy program in October 2025. By January, he had his first job in the industry.

Although Jordan had never worked professionally in the trades before, he had some familiarity with tools and construction from growing up around his father, who worked in the field. The program helped him turn that familiarity into practical skills.

One moment that stood out during the training was a hands-on solar installation demonstration led by industry professionals.

“They set up a mock solar array in the parking lot,” Jordan said. “Seeing everything come together like that made it easy to visualize what the work would actually be like. That was the moment I thought, ‘I can definitely see myself doing this.’”

During his time in the program, Jordan and his classmates also had the opportunity to put their new skills to work for the community. As part of a capstone project, his cohort rehabbed the staircase at Association House's Dulcinea group home for people living with mental illness. The new staircase made a world of difference for residents with mobility issues, and provided a beautiful and refreshed look for the building.

After graduating from the program in October 2025, he quickly put his new resume to use. By January, he'd landed his first position in the industry as a solar installer with Knobelsdorff, helping build large-scale solar projects across the Midwest.

In his new role, Jordan and his team travel to solar sites where they assemble the structures that support solar panels, and install the panels themselves before electrical teams connect the systems.

It’s a fast-paced and physically demanding job—but it’s also exactly the kind of opportunity Jordan had been looking for.

“The work is very different from what I was doing before,” he said. “But it’s a good change.”

The transition into the field came with a learning curve, but Jordan says the training he received at Association House helped prepare him for the workplace, particularly when it came to safety standards and general familiarity with construction tools and jobsite practices.

He also earned his OSHA 10 certification during the program, which meant he was already qualified for safety requirements many employers look for during onboarding.

For Jordan, the biggest difference between his old career and his new one is the sense of possibility: “There’s room to grow and learn new skills,” he says. “You’re not stuck doing the same thing forever.”

Today, just a short time into his new role, Jordan already sees a future in the clean energy field—one where he can continue developing his skills while contributing to an industry that is expanding rapidly. Looking back, he encourages others who feel stuck in their careers to consider programs like the one that helped him get started.

“If you’re in a tough spot or you don’t really know what to do next, it’s a no-brainer,” he said. “It can open the door to something completely different.”

For Jordan, that door led to a new career, a new sense of purpose, a role in a future powered by clean energy. ◼

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Learn more about Clean Energy Training at Association House at associationhouse.org/cleanenergyjobs.