Preparing a technical workforce with a range of skills related to sustainable energy practices is an important aspect of meeting our Nation's energy needs. The primary objective for this project is to integrate sustainable energy technology practices within technical programs at the college and implement a new Certificate in Sustainable Energy Technology. The second objective of the project is to develop pathways for entry into the emerging sustainable energy field by providing intensive project based learning and dual credit enrollment opportunities for students in grades 7-12, as well as professional development for middle school and high school teachers.
In assessing the needs of region around Joliet, Illinois through direct consultation with industry partners and regional workforce development boards, it was determined that the technical programs of the college produce an adequate and well trained workforce. However, to become more competitive and meet the strategic objectives of the region, employers continuously cited that employee retention and development should focus on the green and sustainable areas of their respective disciplines. In addition, industry partners cited the need for multi-disciplined technicians who can be flexible in their skill set. Job security, placement and promotion were also areas continuously cited as potential benefits of a diverse workforce with some background and knowledge in green and sustainable practices. These findings are consistent with the 2010 Report of the National Energy Technician Education Summit which noted that colleges should seek to integrate sustainable energy competencies in existing programs. For this reason, the college is adapting existing programs to meet the emerging needs for green enabled students across technical disciplines. Working with industry partners to map their specific and cross disciplinary needs, the college is also developing a technical certificate that demonstrates a wide range of cross cutting technical skills and competencies. In addition, the National Energy Technician Education Summit noted the need to develop life long career and educational pathways for technicians to support the changing workplace, including improving articulation between programs at the secondary schools and two-year colleges. To address this recommendation the college is developing an education pipeline by providing hands on, experiential and problem-based learning opportunities for middle school students and dual credit enrollment opportunities for high school students interested in pursuing a career in a technical field with a cross disciplinary focus in sustainable energy. The project has the additional impact of reaching low-income and minority students in partnering middle schools and piloting the certificate program through dual credit enrollment in a high school district located in rural Grundy County.
This project is integrating sustainable energy principles and practices across technical disciplines while improving and increasing student learning in topical areas related to science and engineering technology since many subject areas in the broad topic of sustainable energy technology are scientific principles and are strongly based on physical sciences such as physics, chemistry and earth science. The project design incorporates successful models for curriculum development and integration of sustainability theory and practices, professional development based on the Madison Area Technical College Career Education in Renewable Energy Technologies (CERET) Train the Trainer model, and highly contextualized STEM learning through experiential and problem based learning opportunities. The goals and objectives of the project have measurable outcomes, and evaluation is assessing the impact of enrollment in courses, seminars, workshops, experiential learning opportunities and dual credit enrollment courses as well as increased knowledge and interest in sustainability, attainment of core competencies, retention, and subsequent completion.
