How One Fellowship Transformed a Career and a Life
Victor Obetta at the TPS Summit 2025
Victor Obetta was once a rising soccer star in Nigeria, scouted to play in the United States. Between matches, he earned an associate’s degree in sports management at Genesee Community College and went on to earn a degree in sports management and business administration from Clark Summit University in Pennsylvania. He spent the first part of this career in the insurance world, but ultimately didn’t find it fulfilling. When COVID hit, he used it as an opportunity to pivot again, this time to pursue a Master’s in Business Analytics at Bentley University. And yet, despite the degrees, the accolades, and the persistence, Victor found himself at a crossroads. “I had a master’s degree and all this experience,” he recalls, “and I was supporting business development for a tech company, but I still felt like I didn’t know where I truly belonged.”
That changed when he learned about Transform Power Systems (TPS), a Massachusetts-based organization tackling the clean energy transition by helping municipalities and mission-driven employers execute energy projects, and by training the workforce needed to do the work.
Victor was accepted into the TPS Workforce Hub, an immersive, employer-aligned training and career placement program designed to open the doors of clean energy to professionals of all backgrounds. Through its Clean Energy Fellowship, TPS offers a 12-week structured training experience followed by a full year of career navigation support, complete with real-world project work, leadership development, and industry mentorship. Participants receive stipends, tech access, transportation support, and above all, a pathway to purpose.
“TPS didn’t just train me,” Victor says. “They literally brought me back to life. I took interesting courses, such as Solar Cell Technology and National Electrical Code Change 2023, through the Fellowship. I also earned my OSHA 10 certification.”
While training, Victor shadowed field engineers, contributed to a wastewater facility electrification project, and immersed himself in energy justice. He credits the stipend as a critical resource in making this career shift. “It’s rare to find a program that pays you to learn. That kind of support is everything.”
In fact, Victor didn’t just graduate; he believed in the mission of TPS so much that he joined the company. Today, Victor serves as a Project Development Manager at Transform Power Systems, where he leads municipal outreach, identifies electrification grant and funding opportunities, and assists communities in implementing clean energy solutions. He’s also the face of what TPS does best, equipping motivated professionals with the training, support, and employer access to thrive in the energy transition.
“When people ask if this program works, I just say, ‘I’m the proof.’ And I’m not the only one.”
TPS’s approach is rooted in the belief that talent is everywhere, but access to opportunity isn’t. Through its two program tracks, the Clean Energy Fellowship for degree-holding professionals and the AMP program for experienced workers without college degrees, TPS ensures that anyone interested has access to a future in clean energy.
For employers, TPS is more than a talent pipeline. It’s a partner in building a workforce that reflects the communities clean energy is meant to serve.
“I used to wonder where I fit,” Victor says. “Now I wake up knowing I’m doing work that matters, and helping others do the same.”