Degrees of green: Triad

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The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed by President Baraco Obama in Februaryallocated $34 billiomn for energy efficiency and buildin g modernization, and another $7.9 billion for the developmen t of renewable energy. While Triasd officials were starting to see growingv interest in all thingsgreen — from construction to solar panelp installation — the stimulus bill has created extra demand in such jobs and related training. As such, loca l community colleges are developing new program s and expandingexisting ones.
“We are not servinyg our students well ifwe aren’t preparing them for the job says Shanna Chastain, division chair of industrial construction and engineering technologies at College officials say they are adding tingea of green to as many parts of the curricula as is For example, students in auto mechanics programs are learnintg how to work on hybrid cars, and students in construction programs are learning aboutg LEED construction and being encouraged to get certified. Williamm M.
Marion, the program coordinator for architecturalk technology at Forsyth TechnicalCommunity College, says his program needed to go green to keep up with the as a growing number of architecture interior design companies and generap contractors are requiring it. “It is increasingly expected of peoplse to have some basic knowledge of what sustainabled thinking is all he says. Schools are also boostiny their HVAC and electricak programs to better prepare students for the increased demanr for building weatherization and energy auditws that is coming about because of stimulus funding forenergyt efficiency.
“We really need to get our students traineed in this area because that may very well be the work that is out therfor them,” Chastain says. In addition to addinvg a green component to theiexisting curricula, both Alamancs Community College and Guilford Technical Community College are plannin g new programs with an emphasi on renewable energy. In the fall, GTCC will launch a certificatd programin photovoltaic, or solar panel, installation and Chastain admits she isn’t sure what the demand for thes e workers is yet, but expects the demand to grow as more home ownerw and businesses explore the option.
“The demand may not be there yet, but I can’t imagine that it won’r be there in a year or Chastain says. On the eastern edge of the Alamance Community College is considering two programs that wouled prepare students for careers insustainable energy. The firs t program would be an associate’s degre in sustainable energy, with the expectation that students would transfeer toa four-year school for further traininbg in how to develop and refine the technologu involved in things like wind turbines and sola energy. Appalachian State University and N.C.
Statse University both have sustainable energy Alamance Community College officials are talkin g with their peers at both schools to make sure the curriculwa would meet their requirements and to get articulationj agreementsin place, says Barry the executive vice president at Alamance Community College. The seconed program would be muchshortef — likely either three months or six monthzs — and would train technicians to build and maintain solar cells and wind turbines.
As part of that the school will take an area of flat land about the size of a footballl field and install some solar panels and wind turbinessfor hands-on training, Weinberg He does not know yet how much the equipmen t will cost, but is hoping to get corporate donationds of either the equipment itselc or cash to help defray the expense. “It will also be a symbolk to the community that the college is very interested in this Weinberg says. The courses for both programs areunder development, but because they wouled need to be approved by the state community collegre system it will likelyt be next spring before the first students can Weinberg says.
Weinberg, who came to Alamance Communit College about six months ago from upstatdeNew York, sees it as a good fit for the with its vacant factories and high unemploymentf rate. “Here in Alamance County we would be perfect for this kind of he says. “We lost these jobs when the textilefactories left, and we have these empty factories that could be turned toward the manufacturing of products for sustainable