Community colleges offer clean energy training as climate-related jobs expand across America

by | May 15, 2024 | Science

DANVILLE, Illinois (AP) — On the south side of Chicago, students learn to work on Rivian electric pickup trucks and SUVs through a new technician program at Olive-Harvey College.About 150 miles (240 kilometers) south, students at Danville Area Community College in Illinois are taught to troubleshoot massive wind turbines dozens of meters tall, along with climbing and safety.In Albuquerque, students train on wiring and fixing solar panel installations through Central New Mexico Community College’s electrical trades courses.And in Boston, students study how to toughen homes and buildings against extreme temperatures at Roxbury Community College’s Center for Smart Building Technology. The focus is on automating and modernizing heating and air conditioning systems so they contribute less to climate change.All are examples of how students across the United States look to community colleges for up-to-date training for the increasing number of jobs in climate solutions — from electrification, to wind and solar, to energy efficiency, weatherization, protecting water and farmland and more.Kyle Johnson has long enjoyed working on gasoline-fueled cars. But automobiles are increasingly electric.“When it came to EVs, I knew that the times are changing, and I didn’t want to be left behind,” said the 34-year-old, now enrolled at Olive-Harvey. “Climate change has a lot to do with my decision.”The warming planet is fueling the interest of many students like Johnson. The job market was already changing as more businesses sprang up to address climate change, and now legislation, including the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, is adding more investment, meaning they’ll have plenty of jobs …

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[mwai_chat context=”Let’s have a discussion about this article:nnDANVILLE, Illinois (AP) — On the south side of Chicago, students learn to work on Rivian electric pickup trucks and SUVs through a new technician program at Olive-Harvey College.About 150 miles (240 kilometers) south, students at Danville Area Community College in Illinois are taught to troubleshoot massive wind turbines dozens of meters tall, along with climbing and safety.In Albuquerque, students train on wiring and fixing solar panel installations through Central New Mexico Community College’s electrical trades courses.And in Boston, students study how to toughen homes and buildings against extreme temperatures at Roxbury Community College’s Center for Smart Building Technology. The focus is on automating and modernizing heating and air conditioning systems so they contribute less to climate change.All are examples of how students across the United States look to community colleges for up-to-date training for the increasing number of jobs in climate solutions — from electrification, to wind and solar, to energy efficiency, weatherization, protecting water and farmland and more.Kyle Johnson has long enjoyed working on gasoline-fueled cars. But automobiles are increasingly electric.“When it came to EVs, I knew that the times are changing, and I didn’t want to be left behind,” said the 34-year-old, now enrolled at Olive-Harvey. “Climate change has a lot to do with my decision.”The warming planet is fueling the interest of many students like Johnson. The job market was already changing as more businesses sprang up to address climate change, and now legislation, including the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, is adding more investment, meaning they’ll have plenty of jobs …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]
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