Career Training

Our nation’s energy delivery system is undergoing a significant transformation, and soon, the “smart grid” will replace the electric system of yesteryear.

The grid is deemed “smart” because it can route power according to specific needs and conditions, which is a sharp contrast to today’s grid, which merely “broadcasts” power from central generators. The smart grid is more reliable, transparent, cost-effective, and energy-effective than the current infrastructure, and the system is how America plans to manage its future energy independence, emergency resilience, and ability to generate clean power.

This video explains smart grid technology.

Under the Obama Administration, along with the Federal Smart Grid Task Force established through the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the smart grid will soon become a reality. Areas around the country, such as Southern California and Cincinnati, have already begun installing smart meters to create a national system.

The Smart Grid: Smart Career Choices

The Department of Energy’s Grid 2030 Vision plans to modernize and revolutionize the electric system within ten years. The changes will impact every mile of the electricity system, reaching every consumer and business. Clearly, a change of this magnitude will cost billions of dollars and create “green collar” job opportunities for many individuals.

In fact, according to KEMA, the leading authority in energy consulting, in the next four years alone, the $16 billion earmarked for intelligent grid funding

A new law regarding the renovation of buildings that contain lead paint will go into effect in April 2010, and it has contractors and other professionals scrambling to earn the certification that will be mandated by law. Thankfully, some community colleges offer courses to help with the certification process.

Starting in April 2010, federal law will require all professionals hired to renovate, repair, or paint homes, childcare facilities, or schools built before 1978 to be certified in lead-safe work practices. The change is mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) new Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule. The EPA's new rule requires that accredited centers train renovators in lead-safe work practices, and renovators and renovation firms must be certified as capable of working safely with lead-based paint.

The new law is designed to improve public health and safety, as working with lead paint can result in lead dust and chips being disseminated in the air, harming the health of children and adults. According to a New York Fox News station report, 14% of the children in New York State who had elevated levels of lead in their blood suffered from the condition as a direct result of home renovation projects.

Training for Lead-Safe Workers

Contractors and other professionals who work with paint in buildings built before 1978 must show that they have taken a training course and received a certificate in lead-safe working

Some of the hottest jobs of the future may be in the nanotechnology industry. For community college students who dream big, the key to a bright future may be thinking small – very small.

The National Nanotechnology Initiative defines nanotechnology as “the understanding and control of matter at dimensions between approximately 1 and 100 nanometers where unique phenomena enable novel applications.” A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. According to the NNI, nanotechnology involves “imaging, measuring, modeling, and manipulating matter” at these tiny scales.

Students who earn associate’s degrees in nanotechnology are prepared to work in research, production, marketing, and business environments where knowledge of nanoscience is needed.

The Nanotechnology Job Market

Nanotechnicians work in various fields, including biomedicine, biotechnology, agriculture production, and environmental analysis. . The website for Minnesota State Community College and Technical College’s Nanotechnology program quotes Jack Uldrich and Deb Newberry, the authors of the book The Next Big Thing Is Small. According to these experts, “The market for nanotechnology in the United States was rapidly growing and projected to reach $1 trillion by 2010. Growth over this period is expected to produce between 800,000 and two million new technical jobs.”

The National Nanotechnology Initiative reports that in the United States, federal funding for nanotechnology has increased “from approximately $464 million in 2001 to nearly $1.5 billion for the 2009 fiscal year.”

This video explains what nanotechnology is.

In today’s difficult job market, community college students looking to position themselves for career security and success have an exciting new set of options to consider: programs leading to associate’s degrees or certificates in sustainable energy technologies.

A Growing Industry

Just a few years ago, sustainable energy was more of a dream than a reality. Today, sustainable energy is emerging as an industry in its own right – one that demands trained, competent workers. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (President Obama’s economic stimulus package) provides money for “solar farms, wind turbines, electrical grid updates, mass transit, and the weatherizing and retrofitting of buildings,” according to Business Week. By the estimates of some environmental groups, this spending is expected to produce 1 million to 1.5 million new jobs.

Reporting on the then-emerging trend in 2008, the New York Times articulated that national starting salaries for sustainable energy workers range from $35,000 to $45,000 for graduates of two-year degree programs.

Fortunately for college students who are attracted to the growth potential and solid starting salaries in this industry, community colleges are beginning to offer more programs in two-year degrees or certificates for prospective sustainable energy industry workers.

This video reports on Renewable Energy Program at Hutchison Community College.

Sustainable Energy Degree and Certificate Programs

Across the country, community colleges are offering niche programs that can jumpstart your career in

If you are considering a future career or a professional change, let the winds of change take you into a new industry. For community college students, the American wind energy industry is growing rapidly. Consider the following indicators:

• The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) reports that by the end of 2008, approximately 80,000 people in the United States were employed in the wind industry, up from 50,000 at the end of 2007.
• Wind turbine installations in 2008 were up 50% from the previous year, according to the AWEA report.
• By the end of 2008, the United States had pulled ahead of Germany to lead the world in terms of wind energy production and cumulative wind power generating capacity.
• The 2009 federal stimulus is providing federal funding to colleges and universities in various states to support the development of wind turbine technology.
• The U.S. Department of Energy has developed a Wind and Hydropower Technologies Committee, which is working to realize a goal of having 20% of the energy in the United States produced by wind by the year 2030.

The explosion of the wind energy industry comes at the perfect time for Americans who are out of work and looking to enroll in a community college program that can train them for a new career.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that wind turbine technicians “build or service individual turbines, help with the construction of entire wind farms, or work indoors at