Pivot Energy donates $90,000 to Colorado renewable workforce development program

Denver Colorado-based community solar developer Pivot Energy announced it has donated $90,000 to Bright Futures, a Weld county workforce initiative designed to remove barriers for students that prevent them from pursuing higher education and obtaining gainful employment. The donation will be used to help a minimum of 45 local students pursue training and advanced educational opportunities.
As a triple bottom line company, Pivot Energy works to ensure its business activities have a positive impact on the planet, people and profit. The company recently awarded the Pueblo Hispanic Education Foundation with a $50,000 donation for similar scholarships to provide advanced training opportunities in the renewable energy industry for students in Southern Colorado.
“Pivot’s commitment to strengthening the local communities that host our solar projects has been a priority for us since Day 1,” said Jon Fitzpatrick, VP of project development at Pivot Energy. “Although the solar industry’s workforce is rapidly growing, it’s important for us to help create equitable opportunities for anyone interested in the clean energy industry. We are thrilled to collaborate with Bright Futures to grow the solar workforce in our home state and beyond.”
“Pivot Energy’s leadership and dedication to educating our future generation has proven to be invaluable to the workforce and to the futures of our students,” said Sarah Rice, Bright Futures executive director. “Bright Futures is thrilled to partner with industry leaders such as Pivot Energy to give students a look into what their future could look like outside of high school. The generosity of Pivot to our program will impact students for years to come.”
The two organizations also plan to coordinate educational site tours at local community solar projects developed by Pivot to inspire and educate students about careers in renewable energy, giving them a first-hand look at how solar projects are developed and operate.
According to a recent report, over the last decade, higher education tuition costs within Colorado have increased by more than 65%, while 47% of adults in the state lack post-high school accreditations. Meanwhile, between 2014 and 2019, national solar employment increased five times faster than overall job growth nationally.