The Illinois Shines Program Year 2026 Mentorship Program Winter Cohort concluded Thursday, March 5, 2026, with an in-person graduation event for 16 mentees. The event capped an eight-week Mentorship Program from January to March, during which mentees completed virtual training courses and participated in live, interactive sessions with experienced Approved Vendor (AV) mentors and the Program Administrator’s subject matter experts. The Mentorship Program has grown significantly since its pilot in 2023, doubling to include Fall and Winter cohorts this Program Year.
The Mentorship Program was created as part of the Equity Accountability System to help individuals from historically underserved communities participate in, and benefit from, the growing clean energy economy in Illinois, which was jumpstarted by the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. The Mentorship Program accepts applications from AVs and Designees who are Equity Eligible Contractors (EECs) or whose businesses are minority-owned, woman-owned, veteran-owned, disability-owned entities or who are considered a small business. Experienced AVs can also participate as mentors.
The 2026 Winter Mentorship Cohort comprised:
- 45 participants, including 17 mentees, 12 mentors, and 16 subject matter experts.
- 31 virtual online courses (covering five hours of content and 70 knowledge checks) to assist mentees in navigating Program requirements, such as Annual Reporting, REC performance evaluation, Prevailing Wage requirements, Community Solar subscriber verification, consumer protection requirements, and more.
- Eight live virtual sessions (spanning ten hours) that included six panel discussions and 21 breakout rooms, allowing mentees to hear from experienced AVs and ask specific questions relating to project development, partnership strategies, risk management, financing, interconnection, sales and marketing, and more.
The graduation ceremony brought together mentees, mentors, community partner organizations, and Illinois Power Agency (IPA) and Illinois Shines staff. Some guests traveled from other states to join the celebration and connect with fellow attendees. IPA Program Manager, Andrea O’Shea, delivered remarks, congratulating mentees and thanking mentors. The event was held at HIRE360, whose team welcomed guests and shared information about the nonprofit’s workforce development efforts. Following the graduation ceremony, open networking allowed attendees to continue building relationships to support their continued growth in the solar sector with industry peers, and IPA and Program Administrator team members. Representatives from the IPA’s Illinois Solar for All program also attended and met with guests.
Illinois Shines congratulates the graduating mentees and thanks all mentees and mentors for their dedication and engagement to the Illinois Shines 2025-26 Mentorship Program Winter Cohort. A final report covering both the Fall and Winter cohorts will be issued in May 2026. For more Information and resources, please visit the Mentorship Program page on the Program website or contact the EEC Sector Strategist, Conner Rettig, at [email protected].
Thank you!
Illinois Shines Program
[email protected]