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Chicago’s 548 Foundation offers state-supported workforce training that combines solar instruction with stipends and help addressing barriers such as child care and transportation. The foundation’s Patton reported 700 graduates, a 70% graduation rate and a 68% placement rate; the source does not specify the measurement periods or how placement is defined.
The foundation began offering training through Illinois’ workforce-development program in 2023, Patton told Canary Media. It now runs multiple sessions each year in Chicago, Aurora, Elgin and Waukegan. The source said another Chicago session was due to begin in the month its report was published, but did not give a specific start date.
Participants receive a stipend and support for practical obstacles including child care and car trouble. Instruction covers solar and other technical skills alongside math and resume-writing. The program also connects trainees with help related to mental health, housing and other needs, and graduates can continue seeking advice from staff and affiliates.
In an August 2024 job fair for graduates, solar employers conducted interviews and said offers would follow promptly, according to the report. Instructors said training is designed to reflect working conditions: classes can begin at 6 a.m., and trainees role-play conflict mediation. The source did not report how many job offers from that fair were ultimately made or accepted.
Training Beyond Solar Installation
The program’s approach reflects a practical challenge in workforce training: technical instruction alone may not help people complete a course or keep a job if transportation, housing or caregiving needs remain unresolved. By pairing lessons with stipends and ongoing support, 548 aims to address those barriers while preparing participants for the routines of field work.
The reported outcomes matter to residents and employers, but they should be read as figures provided by the foundation rather than independently audited results. Patton cited a 70% graduation rate, 700 graduates and a 68% placement rate. The report does not specify the cohorts, time periods or definitions behind those measures, so they cannot show on their own how many graduates entered solar jobs or stayed employed.
The training is also not limited to installation work. Graduates described interest in desk-based solar roles, construction and iron work. That range is relevant as Illinois adapts clean-energy workforce training to prepare people for a wider set of careers, rather than a single job path.
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From State Program to Local Classes
The 548 Foundation began participating in the state workforce-development program in 2023, according to Patton. Its sessions now take place in Chicago and three suburbs: Aurora, Elgin and Waukegan. The report described these locations as home to large Latino immigrant and African American populations.
The curriculum and support services serve participants with different goals. Graduate Kelvin Davis praised the hands-on installation work but said he was more interested in a desk-based role. Mikah Allen said he preferred iron work and construction; the report said links to trade-union apprenticeships could also support that direction. Illinois had recently revised the clean-energy curriculum to cover a wider range of careers amid volatility in some clean-energy industries.
At a graduation ceremony, Pastor Barrett connected the training with the longer-term goal of building wealth in Black communities. He described his grandfather’s move from Mississippi to Chicago and said union work helped his family buy a home. His remarks framed the program as one possible route to employment and economic opportunity, not as proof that every graduate will achieve the same outcome.
““We have a 70% graduation rate, 700 graduates. Then they said the market wasn’t ready for us. Meanwhile, we have a 68% placement rate.””
— Patton, 548 Foundation
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How Outcomes Are Counted
The foundation’s reported 700 graduates, 70% graduation rate and 68% placement rate are not accompanied in the source by dates for the data, cohort sizes or definitions. It is not clear whether placement means any job, a job in solar or another related field, or employment sustained for a particular period. The reported average annual earnings of $68,000 also lack a stated sample, measurement method and time frame.
The source describes employers conducting interviews at the August 2024 job fair and saying offers would follow promptly, but does not confirm the number of offers or hires. It also does not give enrollment numbers, the program’s total cost, or how many trainees receive wraparound services. Those gaps limit comparisons with other training programs.
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Next Training Sessions and Careers
The original report said another Chicago training session would begin that month, but did not provide its exact date or a later update on enrollment. The foundation’s established schedule includes multiple yearly sessions in Chicago, Aurora, Elgin and Waukegan, according to Patton.
For the program’s next assessment, useful details would include enrollment and completion figures by cohort, the number of graduates placed in solar and related jobs, and whether they remain employed over time. More information on earnings and the kinds of roles graduates take would also help readers judge how the training is working. The source does not identify a forthcoming evaluation or publication date.
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Key Questions
What is the 548 Foundation’s program?
It is a workforce-training program that prepares participants for solar work and related trades. Lessons combine technical instruction with basic skills and support services.
Where does the training take place?
The foundation runs sessions in Chicago, Aurora, Elgin and Waukegan, according to Patton. The source said a further Chicago session was scheduled for the month of the original report.
What support do participants receive?
Under the state workforce program, students receive a stipend and help with barriers such as child care and car trouble. The foundation also offers support related to housing, mental health and other needs.
How many participants have found jobs?
Patton reported a 68% placement rate and 700 graduates, but the source does not specify the rate’s time period, denominator or whether placements must be in solar. It does not provide a confirmed count of hires.
Does the training lead only to solar installation jobs?
No. The report describes graduates interested in desk-based solar work, construction and iron work, and says the training includes links to trade-union apprenticeships. It does not give a breakdown of graduates’ eventual career paths.
Source: rss
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