‘Solar Is the Perfect Path for Me:’ Veteran Pursues New Career After Connecting with McKinstry at Virtual Hiring Fair
Solar industry employers are actively recruiting military veterans to join their teams, and these companies don’t expect or require the job candidates to already have professional experience in renewable energy.
“If you’re curious and are willing to learn, solar is a great place,” said Jeff Hughes, Director of Renewable Energy Services at McKinstry.
Ohio Army National Guard veteran Kurt Holko is proof of this statement. For more than 25 years, Holko worked as a construction project manager specializing in the healthcare and retail industry. He was successful, but his heart wasn’t in the work anymore. He wanted a change.
Related: ‘I Feel Like a Lieutenant Again’: Transitioning Service Member Launches Careers in Solar Industry
“I wasn’t getting the same level of personal satisfaction I had in previous years,” Holko said. “I worked for great companies, but simply could not shake the urge to do something different.”
Curious About Solar Industry
In the back of his mind, he felt an urge to explore employment in renewable energy because of his military experience.
After high school, Holko enlisted in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and received training to be a tactical Communications Systems Operator.
“I was what we called a ‘wire dog’ responsible for running wire and operating various equipment to establish radio and wire communications between ground forces and aircraft,” he said.
Holko transferred to the Ohio Army National Guard when his family moved to Ohio. He served with the 107th Air Cavalry for most of his six-year commitment. He’s been living and working in Ohio ever since.
Intrigued by Renewable Energy
Fast-forward to Holko and his fast-approaching career change. He wanted to do it, but he was nervous. He wasn’t sure where to begin.
Then, due to circumstances outside of his control, Holko lost his job. Suddenly, he had the time to research new career paths and reassess his professional aspirations.
“I have always been intrigued by the renewable energy industry, so I took a deep dive into solar research and found it to be fascinating,” he said. “Solar felt like a great fit and the perfect path for me.”
But there was a problem — Holko didn’t have any professional experience or professional network connections in the solar industry.
“There are many job openings in this field, and I applied for several of them,” Holko said. “But I couldn’t get anyone’s attention long enough to sell my extensive project management skills and how well that would translate to the solar industry.”
The experience left Holko feeling defeated.
“Job searching can be a soul-crushing experience due largely to the anonymity of submitting resumes and applications and hardly ever getting any feedback of any kind,” he said.
Holko needed assistance to support his career change. So, he turned to Hiring Our Heroes and the Solar Ready Vets Network.
Solar Industry Connections for Veterans
The solar industry needs to add 800,000 new workers in various roles and locations. Employers are trying to attract workers with a combination of technical and soft skills.
Veterans may be the solution to the solar industry’s talent recruitment challenges. Veterans are outstanding candidates for a wide range of solar careers. Military representation in the solar workforce has risen almost 20% during the past five years, as solar employers in all 50 states recruit veteran talent.
Unfortunately, too many veterans don’t realize how valuable their skills are to solar industry employers. The Solar Ready Vets Network is working to change that.
Through initiatives funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Solar Ready Vets Network promotes the representation of military talent across all levels and sectors of the solar workforce.
The Solar Ready Vets Network program has four key objectives:
- Support solar career navigation and connection for veterans
- Share tools and resources for employers to recruit and retain military talent
- Advance Registered Apprenticeship pathways to solar industry careers
- Expand and promote solar industry SkillBridge opportunities for transitioning service members
Hiring Our Heroes partners with the Solar Ready Vets Network to support solar career navigation and connections for veterans like Holko. In fact, it was at a Hiring Our Heroes virtual hiring fair for the solar industry where Holko learned about employment opportunities available for him.
Removing Obstacles and Barriers to Employment in the Solar Industry
As a designer, constructor, operator, and maintainer of buildings across the U.S., McKinstry works across the entire building lifecycle. Through its renewable energy services department, McKinstry develops, builds, and maintains rooftop, canopy, and ground mounted solar and solar storage projects.
McKinstry partners with Hiring Our Heroes in several ways. Since 2016, McKinstry has hosted transitioning service members as corporate fellows through Hiring Our Heroes Fellows Program. This 12-week fellowship provides training, mentorship, and networking to help active-duty service members transition smoothly into a civilian career.
McKinstry also recruits and hires veterans through events like industry-specific virtual hiring fairs.
“I attended the hiring fair for the opportunity to get in front of a real person and bypass the algorithms and whatever unseen obstacles that seem to block every application you submit online these days,” Holko said.
During the solar virtual hiring fair, Holko met a McKinstry recruiter who asked Holko about his application and construction experience. Soon, Holko was interviewing for a position at McKinstry.
Not long after attending the virtual hiring fair, Holko accepted his new position as senior project manager for distributed energy resources. Now, he’s managing the construction of McKinstry’s solar projects throughout the U.S.
More importantly, Holko is loving his new career in the solar industry.
“I am confident that without the solar virtual hiring fair, I would have never had the opportunity to pursue my current position,” Holko said.
And all it took was that one connection.
