UCCS
COLORADO NEW ENERGY WORKFORCE TECHNOLOGY TRAINING CENTERS (v4)
THE CHALLENGE:
1. Colorado employers need workers trained specifically to manufacture, deploy, operate and maintain solar, wind and “smart grid” technologies.
2. Colorado’s community colleges and other institutions excel in workforce training, but the cost of renewable energy technologies needed for hands on training presents a barrier.
3. Workers and students around the state want to be trained or retrained for jobs in the New Energy Economy, but it is too expensive for community colleges in every region of the state to acquire the necessary equipment for proper training.
THE SOLUTION:
4. Employers, community colleges, research institutions and state agencies join forces to create centralized training centers with appropriate and current technology for hands on training.
5. Students will receive basic class room training at their local community colleges, four year colleges or other institutions.
6. Upon completion of necessary prerequisite training, students from community colleges and other institutions may participate in hands-on training at the appropriate technological training center.
7. Three centralized training centers will be created at facilities with technological excellence:
• Solar technologies: Solar Technology Acceleration Center (a privately funded solar test and demonstration center, affiliated with the Collaboratory, near Denver International Airport)
• Wind technologies: NREL’s National Wind Technology Center (the nation’s leading wind technology test center, near Rocky Flats, west of Broomfield)
• Smart grid technologies: capabilities and location to be identified after survey of industry needs
THE PARTNERS:
8. Colorado’s New Energy Economy employers, including Xcel Energy
9. Colorado Community College System and Colorado’s community colleges
10. The Solar Technology Acceleration Center (SolarTAC) a privately funded and operated solar technology test and demonstration center, funded by Xcel Energy, Abengoa Solar and SunEdison and managed by Midwest Research Institute
11. Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory’s Education Task Force and its members: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University, University of Colorado – Boulder
12. Metro Denver EDC and Northern Colorado EDC
13. Colorado Association of Manufacturing and Technology
14. The State of Colorado, including the Department of Higher Education, Department of Labor and Employment, Governor’s Energy Office and Office of Economic Development & International Trade
NEXT STEPS:
15. Design training centers appropriate to their distinctive tasks, including technology training labs and dual purpose class/conference rooms, all with video conferencing capabilities
16. Obtain construction and equipment cost estimates and raise funds for construction of the facilities
17. Create teams of employers, community college curriculum developers and educators, renewable energy instructors, technical experts, workforce training experts and workplace safety experts
18. Create curricula to meet employers’ current and projected demands for specific jobs, including community college classroom education and technology training center hands-on training, and ongoing training for technological innovations in industry
19. Ensure that the programs provide basic STEM and energy education to allow interested students to move between new energy sectors or to progress to higher education institutions
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