US Community Colleges Offer Clean Energy Training
2024-05-26
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1Across the United States, students are now looking to community colleges for training in jobs related to climate change solutions.
2These include wind and solar energy, electrification, and protecting water and farmland.
3For example, on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, students learn how to work on an electric vehicle (or EV) in a new technician program at Olive-Harvey College.
4About 240 kilometers south, students at Danville Area Community College learn how to fix large wind turbines.
5In Albuquerque, students learn how to work on solar panels at Central New Mexico Community College.
6In Boston, Massachusetts, students at Roxbury Community College's Center for Smart Building Technology learn how to strengthen buildings against extreme temperatures.
7They also learn how to build structures that contribute less to climate change.
8Kyle Johnson is a 34-year-old student at Olive-Harvey College in Illinois.
9Johnson has long enjoyed working on gasoline-fueled cars.
10But automobiles are increasingly electric.
11"When it came to EVs, I knew that the times are changing, and I didn't want to get left behind," he said.
12"Climate change has a lot to do with my decision," he added.
13The job market already has been changing.
14Businesses and jobs that address climate change are growing.
15And now legislation like the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act is adding more investment which will most likely mean more jobs.
16Millions of clean energy workers are needed to meet targets set by governments and companies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
17Many of these job opportunities are growing faster than overall employment in the U.S.
18Brian Lovell of Roxbury Community College has seen that firsthand.
19"While the students are still in the program, they get employed because the demands of industry are so acute," he said of the students in Roxbury, Massachusetts.
20Traditionally, people going into these industries gained skills through local employers and labor organizations.
21But now community colleges can help.
22They listen to companies and state officials and create hands-on training for open jobs.
23Kate Kinder is executive director of the National Council for Workforce Education.
24She said "over half of these jobs" require less than a four-year college degree and more than a high school education.
25"That's prime community college space," she said of the two-year associate program.
26These job openings draw in students like Tannar Pouilliard.
27Pouilliard had thought he would become an automotive technician.
28However, after learning about openings in the wind power industry, he enrolled in Danville's wind energy technician classes.
29He said, "It really opens the door for people out here for jobs."
30At the same time, community colleges have been losing students, not unlike the rest of higher education.
31Currently, more people are entering the workforce straight out of high school.
32And some community colleges have not recovered from the decrease in enrollment that happened during the pandemic.
33Some schools say investing in these programs is a balancing act between staying up-to-date and risking a bet on developing technology.
34"We feel the pressure," said Monica Brummer.
35She is director of the Pacific Northwest Center of Excellence for Clean Energy at Centralia College in Washington.
36"If we create curriculum today for, say, a hydrogen technician, it may not be the curriculum we need in two or three years, because the technology is changing so fast ..."
37Some schools hope to make the change without new and costly investments.
38For example, Minnesota's Inver Hills Community College launched a climate change program in 2022 using existing areas of study at the school.
39Now, administrators are considering expanding that program.
40As well, Cape Cod Community College recently changed from specialized workforce training to a wider sustainable energy study program.
41Other community colleges help prepare students like Sarah Solis for a four-year degree program related to climate change.
42Solis was enrolled at West Los Angeles College, a community college near the Inglewood Oil Field.
43The oil field is what led her to environmental studies. She later changed to the school's climate change degree, which was new at the time.
44Its climate change program has grown since then; it is now home to the California Center for Climate Change Education.
45Then Solis went to the University of California, Davis, and earned a degree in environmental science and management.
46She teaches city farms how to deal with a warming future.
47And she credits her success to her community college experience.
48Solis called her experience at the community college "life changing."
49She added, "I would not be an environmental scientist right now if I hadn't gone to West."
50Many other students said the same thing.
51I'm Dan Friedell. And I'm Anna Matteo.
1Across the United States, students are now looking to community colleges for training in jobs related to climate change solutions. These include wind and solar energy, electrification, and protecting water and farmland. 2For example, on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, students learn how to work on an electric vehicle (or EV) in a new technician program at Olive-Harvey College. 3About 240 kilometers south, students at Danville Area Community College learn how to fix large wind turbines. 4In Albuquerque, students learn how to work on solar panels at Central New Mexico Community College. 5In Boston, Massachusetts, students at Roxbury Community College's Center for Smart Building Technology learn how to strengthen buildings against extreme temperatures. They also learn how to build structures that contribute less to climate change. 6Kyle Johnson is a 34-year-old student at Olive-Harvey College in Illinois. Johnson has long enjoyed working on gasoline-fueled cars. But automobiles are increasingly electric. 7"When it came to EVs, I knew that the times are changing, and I didn't want to get left behind," he said. "Climate change has a lot to do with my decision," he added. 8Changing job market 9The job market already has been changing. Businesses and jobs that address climate change are growing. And now legislation like the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act is adding more investment which will most likely mean more jobs. 10Millions of clean energy workers are needed to meet targets set by governments and companies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Many of these job opportunities are growing faster than overall employment in the U.S. 11Brian Lovell of Roxbury Community College has seen that firsthand. "While the students are still in the program, they get employed because the demands of industry are so acute," he said of the students in Roxbury, Massachusetts. 12Traditionally, people going into these industries gained skills through local employers and labor organizations. But now community colleges can help. They listen to companies and state officials and create hands-on training for open jobs. 13Kate Kinder is executive director of the National Council for Workforce Education. She said "over half of these jobs" require less than a four-year college degree and more than a high school education. 14"That's prime community college space," she said of the two-year associate program. 15These job openings draw in students like Tannar Pouilliard. 16Pouilliard had thought he would become an automotive technician. However, after learning about openings in the wind power industry, he enrolled in Danville's wind energy technician classes. He said, "It really opens the door for people out here for jobs." 17College investment in new programs 18At the same time, community colleges have been losing students, not unlike the rest of higher education. Currently, more people are entering the workforce straight out of high school. And some community colleges have not recovered from the decrease in enrollment that happened during the pandemic. 19Some schools say investing in these programs is a balancing act between staying up-to-date and risking a bet on developing technology. 20"We feel the pressure," said Monica Brummer. She is director of the Pacific Northwest Center of Excellence for Clean Energy at Centralia College in Washington. "If we create curriculum today for, say, a hydrogen technician, it may not be the curriculum we need in two or three years, because the technology is changing so fast ..." 21Some schools hope to make the change without new and costly investments. 22For example, Minnesota's Inver Hills Community College launched a climate change program in 2022 using existing areas of study at the school. Now, administrators are considering expanding that program. As well, Cape Cod Community College recently changed from specialized workforce training to a wider sustainable energy study program. 23Other community colleges help prepare students like Sarah Solis for a four-year degree program related to climate change. 24Solis was enrolled at West Los Angeles College, a community college near the Inglewood Oil Field. The oil field is what led her to environmental studies. She later changed to the school's climate change degree, which was new at the time. Its climate change program has grown since then; it is now home to the California Center for Climate Change Education. 25Then Solis went to the University of California, Davis, and earned a degree in environmental science and management. She teaches city farms how to deal with a warming future. And she credits her success to her community college experience. 26Solis called her experience at the community college "life changing." She added, "I would not be an environmental scientist right now if I hadn't gone to West." 27Many other students said the same thing. 28I'm Dan Friedell. And I'm Anna Matteo. 29Alexa St. John in Detroit and Melina Walling reported this story for the Associated Press. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English. 30_____________________________________ 31Words in This Story 32wind turbine -n. an engine whose central driving shaft is fitted with a series of blades spun around by the pressure wind for generating electricity 33solar panel -n. a battery of solar cells (as on a rooftop) 34greenhouse gas -n. any of various gaseous compounds (such as carbon dioxide or methane) that absorb infrared radiation, trap heat in the atmosphere, and contribute to the greenhouse effect 35acute -adj. demanding urgent attention 36prime -adj. first in rank or importance 37associate -adj. a degree given especially by a junior college 38enroll -v. to become a member