Energy & E-Mobility
Solar-ready technicians for a rooftop programme
Overview:
Kilima Solar Works, a Nairobi solar installer, was growing faster than it could hire. Every new technician needed months of supervision before they could be trusted on a roof alone. The company joined IDEA's host employer programme to find a better route to skilled, safe and site-ready technicians.
Approach:
IDEA and Kilima designed a twelve-week placement around the company's real installation pipeline. Learners from the Electrical and Solar PV course joined crews on domestic and commercial rooftops, each paired with a senior technician. Every installation was logged, photographed and assessed against the national standard and Kilima's own quality checklist. Kilima's operations lead joined IDEA's advisory panel and helped refine the solar modules for the next cohort.
Programme specifications:
Learners hosted: 12
Placement length: 12 weeks
Installations supported: 48
Assessment: national standard plus employer checklist
Supervision ratio: one senior technician to two learners
Results:
Nine of the twelve learners received job offers from Kilima before completing the course. New hires reached independent installation work 40 percent faster than the company's previous recruits, because Kilima had already seen and assessed their work. Every installation passed its safety assessment first time. Kilima has since committed to hosting a learner cohort every term.
75%
Hosted learners hired
40%
Faster onboarding
100%
Safety-assessed installs
