From Craigslist SF:

Internship- Solar Industry (San Jose, CA)




Clean Solar, Inc. is looking for a motivated unpaid intern to learn about the solar industry. The position would be part-time (20+ hours/week). Clean Solar will teach you about the solar industry. You will learn how to design solar systems, organize the office, prepare all paperwork to complete solar systems. Come join our team.

We are looking for Individuals who/with:
-Work great in small teams
-Self-Motivation
-Have reliable transportation
-Are time-efficient
-Have design experience (CAD or the like)
-Like new company excitement
-Very Organized
-Want to grow & take on more responsibility
-Detail-Oriented

Clean Solar will provide
-A future in the fast-growing solar industry
-In-depth inside knowledge regarding all that is solar
-A progressive work-environment
-An exciting learning environment
-Access and education in one of the fastest growing industries in the world

This is a great opportunity for a hard-working focused individual to get into an exciting field, be involved in a wide range of activities, and really learn a lot about the industry.
We will take care of our entire staff.

Clean Solar Inc., founded by owner Randy Zechman, is a Top 10 Solar Contractor in Northern California who has partnered with a local vocational school to work on a sustainable energy curriculum.

This offer provoked some consideration amongst our editorial staff. Unlike many of the previous exposés we have run circumstances surrounding this situation are not clear. On one hand this is a part time position in a fledgling industry that requires considerable training. On the other hand the ad clearly targets those with some degree of design experience (CAD requirement etc) who should adapt easily to new tasks. Furthermore, the position description undermines the training claim by emphasizing clerical tasks over specialized labor.

We acknowledge that some might see the potential to gain specialized training in such a position as a balance for lack of pay, but we urge Clean Solar Inc. to look beyond sustainable energy and adopt a sustainable business structure that fairly compensates all employees.

What is your opinion?

You can contact Clean Solar Inc. directly here.