The Energy Services & Technology Program (EST) is establishing an A.A.S. degree in EST and a series of continuing education certificate courses. This degree program is the first of its kind in the City University of New York system. Both the degree and certificate programs provide concentrations in energy assessment (for auditors and analysts), operations and maintenance (for building operators/building technicians), resource management (for energy managers, energy cost analysts and measurement verification technicians) and alternative fuel vehicle operations and maintenance (for alternative fuel vehicle technicians).
To accomplish the primary goals of the EST program, the project is undertaking the following activities: a) Curriculum and course development; b) Instructional materials adaptation and development; c) College faculty and high school teacher training and professional development; d) Student enrichment and internship activities.
The EST curriculum incorporates the model curriculum designed by the Advanced Technology Environmental Education Center (ATEEC), which also produced a guidebook titled Best Practices for Planning an Energy Services & Technology Program to help community and technical colleges start or improve a program. The courses in the Specialized Degree Option related to Alternative Fuel Vehicle Operations and Maintenance are modeled after courses designed by the College of the Desert, Energy Technology Training Center for Advanced Transportation Technologies.
The intellectual merit is derived from and sustained through research and consultation with public and private researchers and administrative leaders in the field of Energy Services Technology and Alternative Fuel Vehicles. The program is closely linked to the BCC Center for Sustainable Energy. The Center's mission is to gather and apply state-of-the-art knowledge for education, training and commercial/industrial applications of new technology in this field.
The broader impact of this program is its ability to serve as a replicable model for the development of a technological workforce needed to maintain and service the growing renewable energy section of the economy. The EST A.A.S. degree curriculum is related to a series of Bronx secondary school programs such as College Now, Tech Prep, and Step, supported by the NYS Department of Education. It is also linked to five high schools in New York City that have Automotive Training programs. Thus, the program is designed to provide new career pathways for minority students and other individuals by establishing links from high school to college level science and technology education to job placement.
