Before working as a solar installer, Austin George was a coal miner. He risked his life every day getting to job sites and breathing dirty air underground. Austin always had a dream of going back to school to become a nurse. He started nursing school in 2011 but became a father soon after and decided it was time to re-enter the workforce, but this time in an emerging industry like clean energy.

Now, Austin is a solar installer at Third Sun Solar. Third Sun Solar has been working since 2000 in Athens County, Ohio to design and install clean energy solutions for residential and commercial clients across Ohio and the Midwest. Austin is part of a well-trained and experienced crew who complete installations on rooftops throughout the region.

Austin’s story is not unique. As coal jobs disappear, clean energy jobs are employing men and women across the region.