As American society shifts to more sustainable energy and environmental practices in households, businesses, and government, our society is challenged to find employees with the required new skill sets and expertise. Energy management plays an integral role in this shift as our society must decrease energy waste while shifting to cleaner energy sources. Industry and education must adapt quickly to address these changes. Edmonds Community College, Cascadia Community College, the Centralia College Center of Excellence for Energy Technology, and Washington State University's Extension Energy Program is working with industry and labor representatives in Washington State to increase the number of energy management technician professionals with the education and skills necessary to meet the current and projected workforce demands in Washington State. This project is establishing and disseminating standards-based training options specific to energy efficiency-related industries in order to provide market responsive education for those taking on new responsibilities in energy efficiency and those seeking entry in energy management occupations. Specifically, the team is a) updating standards and core competencies for energy management curriculum; b) developing and/or enhancing curriculum for degrees and certificates in energy management; c) establishing a sustained network of educators for clean-energy programs; d) providing educational and employment resources and training opportunities in energy management to educators in Washington State, and e) creating and supporting multiple-entry career paths for students at various entrance and advancement points.
Meeting the Challenge of Energy Management in a Carbon-Constrained World addressed the need to train a skilled energy management workforce by bringing together industry, education, and labor in a collaborative partnership. Edmonds Community College in partnership with Cascadia Community College, the Pacific Northwest Center of Excellence for Clean Energy, and Washington State University Energy Program worked with industry and labor representatives in Washington state on this Advanced Technology Education Project for Program Improvement to develop: Skill profiles that specify the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the development of a successful energy efficiency workforce. Outcomes The project’s Industry & Labor Task Force designed areas of focus for the development of skill profiles. Two industry focus groups were convened to gather the relevant skills and abilities. This work resulted in the publication authored by the project team, Skill Profiles for Energy Management Occupations-Energy Project/Program Management and Commercial Building Analysis-Including: The Use of Industry-Defined Skill Sets to Assess Energy Curriculum and Programs & Development and Application of the Core Skills Analysis Tool (CSAT). This document is being used by Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), a national accrediting body for clean energy programs, as an approved job task analysis document. Professional development opportunities for educators across the region to incorporate these skill profiles into curriculum ensures that new and modified programs are relevant to the needs of industry and impart the core knowledge and skills that will help make students and incumbent workers successful. Outcomes The Energy Educators Association (EEA) was founded and thrives with approximately 30 members across the Pacific Northwest. Two Educator Institutes were held as well as six member meetings over the life of the project. The EEA is a regional professional group whose mission is to address the challenges of a carbon-constrained world by supporting energy educators (K-16). Members value the opportunity to meet with other energy educators on a regular basis. Currently, the EEA’s activities focus on the following: collaboration, support for program/course development, and creating infrastructure for the long-term viability of the EEA and its members. www.energyeducators.org/ Two Educator Institutes focused specifically on integrating Skill Profiles into curriculum. The profiles have been implemented within project partner institutions (in multiple departments), four other regional community colleges as well as integration into regional labor training. Core Skills Analysis Tool (CSAT) - This tool, developed by project faculty, can be used to assess curriculum and programs against the skills information provided by industry in a systematic way, providing invaluable information to project partner schools about their own courses and programs as well as the relationship between the programs. Designed to provide a quantitative framework for skills integration assessment, the CSAT can be modified to fit other projects where industry skill sets are gathered for educational use. A lattice of the myriad of new energy efficiency educational opportunities charts pathways for student career/educational choices, while decreasing obstacles for students to work between institutions. Outcomes Articulations are being developed between project partner schools and the newly approved Bachelor of Applied Science degrees in Sustainable Building Science Technology offered at South Seattle College and Sustainable Practices at Cascadia Community College. Energy Industry Educational Program Matrix - Students and interested parties can navigate this searchable database of programs within five states (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Utah) by field of study: http://cleanenergyexcellence.org/CollegePrograms/ Career Lattice - Students can navigate this interactive "power grid" map by job/career and find information about the related training programs: http://cleanenergyexcellence.org/careers/ Overall Impact: Developing industry-defined skill profiles and competencies for the emerging clean energy industry benefits employers and students (and ultimately society) as skills learned align with current and emerging job skill requirements. The skill profiles were used in developing and refining training programs regionally and nationally. They were adopted by the new, national accrediting body, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), as an approved job task analysis document. The project aligned industry needs and workforce training programs as well as identified strong, competent training programs in an emergent industry that has struggled with definition. The revised curriculum offered by project partner colleges provides a platform for entry into regional and national industries as well as other educational programs. Secondary and community college educators benefit from the dissemination of results through a website that includes new curriculum with skill profiles and well as the establishment of a professional association, the Energy Educators Association. Finally, the project’s strong partnerships allow for complementary program development (as opposed to competitive) that saves on dollars and resources. The graduates from partner colleges work directly with building energy efficiency, management, and conservation. This work has the direct and tangible effect of decreasing carbon emissions, which most scientists agree is essential to mitigating climate change effects.
