Lyft, Solar Landscape, and Edison Job Corps Team Up to Support Hundreds of New Clean Energy Job-Seekers

A new partnership between Lyft, Job Corps and Solar Landscape is solving an old problem in a booming industry, offering transportation to job-seekers in the clean energy industry.
Partnership Provides Transportation Access to Job Corps Students
Asbury Park, NJ – August 23, 2023 – For job seekers in historically overlooked communities, getting a job may not be as challenging as getting to the job.
That’s why Lyft, Solar Landscape and Edison Job Corps are alleviating the barrier to family-sustaining employment in clean energy and other trade industries by providing free and discounted Lyft rides to Edison Job Corps. The new partnership will provide hundreds of Lyft rides to Edison Job Corps students who need reliable transportation to job interviews or the first few weeks of a new job.
Getting to and from a work site is often cited by job seekers as a major challenge for securing and maintaining a new job. Programs that provide flexible transportation can be a critical link between qualified candidates in under-represented communities and new sustainability-focused jobs spurred on by the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and other state and federal policies.
STEP-UP – short for Solar Training and Education Partnerships for Underserved Populations – partners with national organizations to bring solar installation training to low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities as part of community solar projects, which are hosted on commercial rooftops by national commercial real estate leaders. STEP-UP has trained nearly 2,500 residents in Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey and New Mexico.
“We are thrilled to be making an impact with such an innovative solution to a key challenge in our nation’s clean energy economy,” said Celia Moreno, Social Impact Lead at Lyft. “Together with Edison Job Corps and Solar Landscape, we can introduce people to good jobs that serve nearby communities and fight climate change.”
The project was facilitated by Solar Landscape’s STEP-UP leadership, Kate Gold, who identified the need for reliable and flexible transportation at the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities’ Clean Energy Conference last year.
“This partnership is truly a bridge to brighter futures,” said Kate Gold, Director of Workforce at Solar Landscape. “As the demand for commercial rooftop solar continues to surge, so does the need for jobs in the sector. We’re grateful to Lyft and Edison Job Corps for innovating with us to creatively connect community members to jobs in clean energy and help kickstart new careers.”
Edison Job Corps will administer the program by providing the Lyft credits to its trainees and graduates.
Trainees at a recent STEP-UP solar installation training at Edison Job Corps.
“Our clean energy future can be inclusive and empowering, thanks to our work together,” said Tony Staynings, Business Community Liaison at Edison Job Corps in Edison, New Jersey. “Providing transportation to our students is an important complement to the training and recruitment programs we offer. Now, our students can join the clean energy workforce and be an active participant in fighting climate change.”
A Vehicle for Changing Lives
For one Edison Job Corps member, transportation to a new part-time job is the essential link toward a new career.
Edison resident Zionjah Evans recently got a job at the Menlo Park Mall but lacked transportation options. For her, the job represented a first step toward a new career after her training at Edison Job Corps. She estimates that paying for rides every day could cost nearly $500, quickly eating into her newfound earnings.
“I came to Job Corps with a purpose, my end goal is to get a job in my trade, get an apartment, and start my life journey,” says Evans, 21, who was born in St. Thomas and immigrated to New Jersey for career opportunities. “I’m really trying to make a better life for myself.”
Zionjah Evans takes her first Lyft ride from Edison Job Corps to a new job. Transportation is a major barrier for individuals looking to start new careers.
Once they complete their training at Edison Job Corps, graduates of the STEP-UP partnership will follow in Evans’ footsteps and use Lyft credits to access new family-sustaining jobs in solar installation.
About Lyft
Lyft was founded in 2012 by Logan Green and John Zimmer to improve people’s lives with the world’s best transportation, and is available to 95 percent of the United States population as well as select cities in Canada. Lyft is committed to effecting positive change for our cities and making cities more livable for everyone through initiatives that bridge transportation gaps, and by promoting transportation equity through shared rides, bikeshare systems, electric scooters, and public transit partnerships.
About Job Corps
Job Corps is a federal career technical training and education program for young people who aspire to higher-paying careers and higher education. Since 1964, the program has trained and educated more than 3 million individuals. With more than 120 residential and nonresidential campuses nationwide, training is available in the nation’s fastest-growing industries to low-income 16- through 24-year-olds. The program is free of charge for students. To learn more about Job Corps, call (800) 733-JOBS or visit www.jobcorps.gov.
About Solar Landscape
Solar Landscape is the leading commercial and industrial rooftop solar developer in the U.S. with experience in both community solar and behind-the-meter solar projects. The company employs over 150 people and has more than 250 megawatts of solar energy projects built, and over 150 megawatts operating and under construction. For more about Solar Landscape, visit www.solarlandscape.com.