Women Will Sell the Future

Responding to persistent employer feedback on the need for competent individuals with sales expertise to help grow their businesses, MassCEC has launched its Successful Women in Clean Energy (SWICE) initiative to help these businesses accomplish just that.

According to the MassCEC’s 2015 Clean Energy Industry Report, the greatest percentage of clean energy jobs in the state are in sales and distribution. SWICE is a pilot program aimed at providing women from lower income backgrounds with valuable sales training and relevant work experience to help them better compete in the workplace, filling this traditionally male-dominated segment. For most, this will be an important first step towards a promising career in renewable energy.

The recruitment process focused on a variety of criteria to better ensure that the applicants were suited for the task. Trainees then spent several weeks in a dedicated program learning a variety of skills, from sales to personal financial management, before now beginning their 6 month long fellowships at clean energy employers located across the state. The women will be able to use their sales skills to help their host employers generate additional business, building the company, while having the opportunity to build their resumes at the same time.

At the end of their fellowships these women will be well suited to continue into unsubsidized employment at their host employers or find similar work at one of the many and growing companies around them. Recognizing that sales experience is often a crucial component in a successful career, SWICE is geared towards providing women with this valuable skillset. Soon, they will be giving their male colleagues a run for their money.