SolarCity hosts first of nine job information sessions Thursday

SolarCity hosts the first of nine workforce information sessions on Thursday, ahead of its plans to begin production at its new facility at Riverbend next year.

The sessions will take place at local churches, colleges and community centers over the next two weeks. SolarCity provided this schedule:

•  Thursday - 10 a.m., Edward Saunders Community Center, 2777 Bailey Ave., Buffalo.
•  Friday - 1 p.m., Second Baptist Church, 18 Church St., Lackawanna.
•  Monday - 10 a.m., Buffalo Employment & Training Center, 77 Goodell St., Buffalo.
•  Monday - 2 p.m., Erie Community College North Campus, 6205 Main St., 166 Gleasner Building, Amherst.
•  Dec. 13 - 1 p.m., Martha Mitchell Community Center, 175 Oakmont Ave., Buffalo.
•  Dec. 19 - 10 a.m., State Labor Department Williamsville Career Center, Transitown Plaza, Main Street and Transit Road, Williamsville.
•  Dec. 19 - 5 p.m., Mt. Olive Baptist Church, 710 E. Delevan Ave., Buffalo.
•  Dec. 20 - 10 a.m., The Belle Community Center, 104 Maryland St., Buffalo.
•  Dec. 20 - 2 p.m., Buffalo Employment & Training Center, 77 Goodell St., Buffalo.

SolarCity has maintained throughout construction at the Riverbend site that it is on schedule to open in 2017. This, despite a state corruption investigation surrounding the developers of the $900 million construction project. SolarCity was not implicated in any facet of that investigation.

SolarCity was recently acquired by Tesla. The company plans to use SolarCity's 1.2 million square-foot gigafactory to produce photovoltaic (PV) cells for Panasonic. When it opens, the gigafactory will employ up to 1,500 people and will be capable of producing 10,000 solar panels per day.