Young workers are flocking to renewable jobs, but the sector remains short on labor, reports show

Two new reports examining hiring and recruitment data for companies in the renewable energy sector show them ramping up their demand for early-career hires, who in turn are joining the industry in record numbers.

The Interstate Renewable Energy Council’s latest National Solar Jobs Census shows a “booming” solar sector, said a release from the Solar Energy Industries Association, with 18-to-29-year-olds making up nearly a third of the solar workforce in 2022. Early career platform Handshake reports that U.S. energy employers increased outreach to students by 86% over the past year.

Eric Johnson, senior manager of talent acquisition at First Solar, said in an interview that the company has internally seen a “dramatic spike” in requests for interns, and hired its largest-ever intern group this summer.