Have you ever considered getting your knowledge and expertise through Solar Online Training?
With the pandemic, face-to-face training became impossible and many learning institutions were forced to move to online training. Online training has certain challenges as compared to face-to-face training. Here we will compare the pros and cons between the two.
Let´s start with the positive things about Solar Online Training Courses:
- You can learn from anywhere, anytime: the only thing you need is an internet connection to a) download the training material or b) participate in the live online training provided by the institution you chose.
- With web-based training, which means online training that is pre-recorded with video material, PowerPoint, and learning materials as well as quizzes and multiple-choice tests, you can learn at your own speed. For example, you have a busy week but each Saturday you take the time to learn for 1 or 2 hours. A web-based Solar Online Training will make that possible. Investing in learning and taking time for it is always the best way to reach the goals you want! 😉
- The learning content as well as how it is presented is also changing. Don´t fear being bored and tired while staring at a screen for some hours. New forms of videos, quizzes, and exercises will energize you and help you through a course of 10 or more hours of learning.
- Saving costs and saving time: you don´t have to travel to a training institution, so either you are saving money for flights, buses, trains, cars and hotels to participate in 3 or more days long course. We think this is the best part because it is good for your purse as well as it is for the environment. Win-win with solar online training! 😉
On top of these positive points, we also would like to mention two more positive points of learning online and taking part in Solar Online Training through your PC/Smartphone.
- Meeting Experts and get in touch with them directly because they can also dial in from wherever they are. So, you could meet an expert, that has more than 30 years of experience in the Solar Industry, who had installed many solar systems (off-grid and on-grid) up to megawatt peaks and he or she will be there to coach you and share their knowledge with you- I think this is a once in a lifetime opportunity that the internet made possible!
- Networking: Be part of a big network of like-minded people. This is a great opportunity to ask for advice, share mistakes, support each other on the way to grow, and either start your career or start your own solar business. Make use of the network that the solar online training institute/academy is providing. Most of them also offer events where manufacturers or other experts from the industry join and share their latest news from the industry as well as job offers.
Ok, now you know what the great benefits of Solar Online Training are. Of course, we will share the challenges as well:
- More theory, less practice: It is true, as solar is a quiet technical field, you have to join training at a site or get practical know-how. For example, if you would like to become a Solar Installer or electrician you must also be able to do the installation correctly on a project site. Therefore, you must invest in training that is provided at a Solar Training Institution that offers face-to-face training. But, as a Tipp, we would like to mention that practical know-how can also be best learned while you are at a solar company or doing an internship that will help to gain you the practical knowledge that you will need to pursue your career. Many roles and job opportunities in solar requires more theory than practical experience, examples are solar sales representatives, solar system engineers, draftsmen, and many more.
- Online learning is not for everyone: For online learning, you have to be a person that is highly motivated and disciplined to stick with your learning journey and do the training. For web-based training, this is the most challenging part because you can do it whenever you want. A better way would be to participate in a live online solar training which means you will have a fixed schedule that you have to stick to, to pass the course. But let´s be honest, if you are somebody who likes to learn with people face-to-face and it motivates you to be in a learning environment- it will be hard to stick to purely online training for you. And that is totally fine!
- Internet and electronic devices: Yes, sometimes we can´t imagine it but it is true. Not everybody has the luxury of a good internet connection (that is affordable) and electronical devices such as Laptops, Tablets, Smartphones etc. If your internet connection is bad and you get interrupted during a webinar or your learning videos this can lead to stopping you from learning online at all. Which is totally understandable. Of course, books and downloading content if you have free Wi-Fi access is sometimes the best way to learn and find a solution to such challenges but of course, participating in a live online training which is 2 weeks long is nothing for you.
- Certification: if you take part in a Solar Online Training Course that is not offered by an institution that is related to your country then you will often find it challenging to get a certificate you need. Either the Certificates provided by the Solar Online Training Institute are not useful for you, as the local governments/companies will not accept them. Furthermore, if you have to do a local certification test at a specific certifying institute, that will certify you as a Solar Installer you can come across the obstacle that you are not sure if the things you learned throughout the Solar Online Course covered everything that you must deliver during those tests. Be aware of that and reach out as early as you can to the Solar Online Training provider.
Help us understand your needs
All of the challenges mentioned above can be a hurdle, but we can just encourage you to speak to the Solar Online Training providers and make them aware of the things, that you as a learner need and what kind of challenges you face. Only this way, they can adapt their Solar Online Training offers and make them better for you!
We are the same!
We would be delighted if you could help us to tailor our courses better to your demand. Help us with participating in our online survey: https://easy-feedback.de/umfrage/1442712/tfgKv6
It only takes 5 to 10 minutes and will help us to find out more about the way you prefer to learn and what kind of Solar Online Training is the one that you would like to do!
In case you like QR-Codes, here is the code for the survey:
As always, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out through: blog[at]maxx-energy.co.za
Links and resources
Thank you! For those of you, who can´t get enough, here are some more interesting links that maybe could help you to find the best Solar Online Training courses:
