Crowds of people came out to celebrate the expansion of Homeboy Industries' Solar Panel Installation and Certification Program, or the Photovoltaic Training program, at their headquarters Tuesday.
Homeboy is the largest gang intervention, rehab and re-entry program on the planet according to founder and Executive Director, Father Greg Boyle.
Since the opening of the Photovoltaic Training program six years ago, Homeboy has had over 92 percent of its candidates graduate certified in the renewable energy field.
"We've finally reached this place where the industry—the solar panel industry—understands that, wow, these are better trained folks than they currently have working for them, nationally certified to do this job," said Father Boyle. "It's a nice marriage of industry and the need of a community that wants to find some redemption in their lives."
Mayor Eric Garcetti and AT&T California President, Ken McNeely, who donated $100,000 to the program, were among those in attendance today.
McNeely says that at AT&T they understand that past criminal records were keeping different segments of the population out of well-paying jobs.
"Often times these were young people who made mistakes early in their lives and they should be rehabilitated," said McNeely. "They should be given a second chance."
"We really like the work that Homeboy Industries is doing with work force re-entry, with re-training—some of the best training going on in some of the most high-paying jobs in a [fast-growing] industry, being solar deployment," McNeely further said.
The Photovoltaic Training program at East Los Angeles Skills Center is open to those who wish to apply, according to their website. Homeboy Industries covers the tuition and supply costs for are eligible candidates.
Reach Staff Reporter Sameera Jordan here.
Annenberg Media