State Energy Workforce Consortia

State Energy Workforce Consortia

Industry Solutions - Regional Implementation

OVERVIEW State Energy Workforce Consortia are a collaboration of the energy industry, education and the workforce system. The first consortium was the Florida Energy Workforce Consortium (FEWC), which was formed with the support of CEWD in April, 2006 to address specific concerns that came out of the hurricane restoration efforts. The FEWC was used as a model at the August 2007, Energy Summit that was held at the Southern Governors’ Association meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi. At that meeting, 16 southern states met to discuss issues and solutions to building an energy workforce pipeline for utilities and industrial construction. Consortia focus on the needs and development of a pipeline of workers for the energy industry in an individual state. Most of the consortia are modeled after the successful Florida Energy Workforce Consortium but differ based on the needs of the participants - varying from ad hoc groups focusing on sharing best practices and information, to structured organizations with officers and subcommittees, to a legal entity. The consortia are at different stages of implementation and meet on a regular basis to define and implement strategies in their state. There are currently 27 State Energy Workforce Consortia, including 4 in the planning stages. In general:

• There is a national support structure for consortia led by CEWD and DOL, including conference calls with all the consortia leads to share information, best practices and issues. CEWD also provides assistance on the start-up of the consortia and has a community of practice website with tools and information shared between consortia. In August of 2009 Georgia Power hosted a face to face meeting for all consortia leads and participants.

• The purpose of the consortia is to “Grow Your Own” energy workforce based on the needs of the utilities in the state. Consortia develop a state focused plan that considers the State Energy Plan, current and future energy workforce needs and future construction plans.

State Energy Workforce Consortia 2

• The consortia are made up of utility industry participants (IOU’s, coops and munis), state levels of education and schools with partnerships, state level workforce and individual WIBS, and in some cases industrial construction.

• Consortia are led by industry, with a chair from a lead utility in the state. The only exception is the consortium in Washington which is led by the head of the Center of Excellence for Electricity in the state with strong utility support.

• The structure varies, but follows a common path from ad hoc committee, to organized consortium with a defined strategy and subcommittee structure, to a legal entity. (The Georgia Consortium is a 501c6.) Common subcommittees are Awareness and Outreach, Policy and Education, Untapped Labor Sources and Funding. Subcommittees are frequently led by leaders in education or workforce.

• Funding is not required to start the consortium. The only initial costs are for coffee and / lunch for the meetings held at a utility or community college location. Two consortia, Georgia and Florida, collect dues from their members to pay for some of the work identified by the consortium. It ranges from $2000 to $5000 depending on size of organization.

• Funding follows the development of the plan – first identify what you want to do, then find the funding to do it. In the last round of High Job Growth Training Grants, $4 of the $10 million in grants was awarded to states with energy consortia.

• Energy consortia across the US have been successful using this model – they are taking the lead and driving the initiative to create the needed energy workforce. They work together to identify gaps in training and education and partner to develop programs so duplication and costs are minimized. They are also having an impact on state levels of policy in workforce and education.


STATE ENERGY WORKFORCE CONSORTIA UPDATES ARIZONA Arizona is initial planning and hopes to hold first meeting in November 2010.

ALABAMA The Alabama Energy and Industrial Construction Consortium (AEICC) participates in a number of career awareness and outreach activities- such as SkillsUSA, the Alabama Association for Career Technical Education Summer Conference, and the Career Technical Education Joint Leadership Development Conference - where it has impacted thousands of students and educators. In fact, Alabama was fortunate enough to sponsor SkillsUSA national champions in welding in both the high school and two-year college divisions. AEICC launched “Career Cluster Guides” publication for all 8th grade students statewide. With respect to training program development, the state of Alabama piloted a construction pre-apprenticeship program at four selected community colleges. This is an unprecedented collaborative effort between open shop contractors (Alabama ABC, Alabama AGC, and the Construction Education Foundation of Alabama), union apprenticeship programs (Alabama AFL-CIO), and the Alabama Community College System. Trainees who successfully complete this program, will have a head start on their construction career by obtaining an OSHA 10-hour safety card and the NCCER Core certificate. Much of the work, however, could not be accomplished without adequate resources. While AEICC representatives contribute their own time and money for the mission of the consortium, several members have sought and obtained grant funding from state and federal sources. In 2009, AEICC members were awarded approximately $3.6 million in grant funds. The consortium worked to help Alabama receive funding through several grants - $6 million State Energy Sector Partnership (SESP); $1.1 million Labor Market Information (LMI) grant, and $3.4 million Health Care and High Growth Job grant all from the U. S. Department of Labor. CALIFORNIA The California Energy and Utility Workforce Consortium (Consortium) officially formed in early 2009. The Consortium has brought together energy and water utilities, unions, the California State Community Colleges System, and the California Workforce Investment Board. Its charter focuses on (1) identifying jobs/skills in greatest need in the State, (2) partnering to improve and/or create training programs, (3) building awareness of the need for skilled workers throughout communities, and (4) increasing awareness around careers in the State’s energy and utility industry. The Consortium has advanced State-standard curricula through the community college system, specifically a one-year Certificate in Electrical and Power Systems. This uniform curriculum, approved by the California Community Colleges System Office, can be adopted by any community college in the state without having to go through the typically lengthy review and approval process for proposed new curriculum. College of San Mateo in Northern California and LA Trade Tech College in Southern California will pilot the curriculum, with the first graduates expected in December 2010. Promotion of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) prepared graduates at the K-12 level continues to be a key focus area. Additionally, the Consortium is exploring collaborative opportunities for Smart Grid training. CAROLINAS The Carolinas Energy Workforce Consortium (CEWC) continues to expand its member base with recently adding members representing the K-12 education partners and the state energy office. Subcommittees have been formed to address state labor market analysis, untapped labor pools, outreach and education, and funding and policy. Other project related work include:

• Virtual Job Shadows – A template for nuclear operator virtual jobs was developed to be used in the K-12 system in South Carolina. The Carolinas Consortium supported development of a grant application to the Department of Labor


for the development of other nuclear energy virtual job shadows. The VJS provide a hands-on/interactive experience for students to learn what power plant operators do. If the grant is awarded, the VJS template will be expanded to include other energy craft jobs.

• NC Career Mobile Lab - The NC community college system, with support from energy industry grants, developed a

mobile career lab focused on STEM related careers. The consortium supported the lab development by providing career materials and videos on energy related jobs.

• Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Partnerships – In conjunction with NEI and INPO, the consortium companies continue to

be very busy supporting existing NUC partnerships which include Duke Energy/Spartanburg Community College and Progress Energy/Florence Darlington Community College. New partnerships under development include South Carolina Electric & Gas/Midlands Technical College and Shaw Power/Central Piedmont Community College. These partnerships do and will provide a pipeline for nuclear technicians in operations, welding, radiation protection and NDE.

COLORADO Colorado is currently in the information gathering stage to assess the interest in starting a consortium. CONNECTICUT The Connecticut Energy Workforce Development Consortium, consisting of energy related businesses, academic and government representatives in Connecticut, was officially formed in 2009. In its first year, they created a charter and established several committees. They are focused on: Career Awareness & Communication, Business & Education, and Economic Development & Competitiveness. These committees support our its Mission Statement to ensure that a skilled workforce exists to meet the needs and promote the growth of traditional energy, renewable energy and energy efficiency related businesses in the State. Our the consortium meets quarterly and committees meet as needed to pursue specific plans.

Connecticut conducted two surveys in 2009:

• A Preliminary survey to determine employer hiring needs and information about job education/skill requirements as well as relationships with colleges and universities

• A Survey regarding “green/alternative/traditional” energy jobs in preparation for the U.S. DOL Energy Sector Partnership Grant

Connecticut developed an “Energy Career Pathway” DVD and Teacher’s Guide. FLORIDA In 2009 The Florida Energy Workforce Consortium (FEWC) received funding from USDOL to conduct a Green Jobs Survey (awarded to the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation, Labor Market Statistics) for $1.25 Million. FEWC continues its career awareness leveraging through Skills USA, State Science Fair, FASTA, STEM Florida and other state-level programs/ initiatives. FEWC is working on the development of curriculum materials for Energy Foundations and Intro to Alternative Energy courses. Another project, the creation of Florida Energy Teachers Network and provision of resources to this group. FEWC’s top accomplishments include:

• Creation and adoption by Florida Department of Education of Energy Curriculum Frameworks and addition of energy as Florida’s 17th career cluster

• Implementation of Get Into Energy career awareness branding competition materials • Development of consortium branding materials, including shirts, power points, and table display materials


GEORGIA In 2009 the Georgia Consortium received 501(C)(6) non-profit status, finalized its Board of Directors, finalized their membership process and dues, and hosted the World of Energy and Industrial Construction at the Career Expo/Skills USA Competition in Georgia with 18 Worlds and over 6000 students in attendance over two days. Their members spend many hours speaking on behalf of energy workforce development across the state to raise awareness. GEICC formed six active committees with aggressive goals set for 2010. The funding committee has been active in partnerships to apply for grant funding to align education and GEICC workforce development initiatives. The consortium was awarded just under $1 million from the federal DOL ENERGE Grant. The group’s ENERGE Grant Governing Board is busy implementing the grant and received excellent marks from the first federal grant audit. GEICC was pleased to have been a partner in the Department of Education Green Grant Initiative – Georgia was one of five states that received the grant. Among its many projects, the group has developed a “Get Into Energy” brand and is developing the GEICC branding and communication strategy. We will also be writing a modification for our current E.N.E.R.G.E. grant. We will renew our Career Awareness focus targeting engineering, construction and education. GEICC will host a FIRST Robotics competition team; host two MAJIC Camps for women in construction; host energy summer camps as well as energy educator forums, host energy breakout sessions at the GACTE 2010 Conference using NEEDS materials; host the World of Energy and the World of Construction for the 2010 Georgia Career Expo/Skills USA competitions in Atlanta. ILLINOIS Illinois is currently in the information gathering stage to assess the interest in starting a consortium. INDIANA The Indiana Energy Consortium (IEC) launched three energy programs at Ivy Tech Community College campuses across the state in 2009. Both Career Development Certificate and Associate of Applied Science degrees were jointly built in Electric Line Technology, Natural Gas Technology, and Power Plant Technology. Over 200 students are actively enrolled in these programs. These students are guaranteed an interview with any IEC member company who is hiring and the first certificate program graduates have been hired by consortium member utilities. The energy companies supplied numerous subject matter experts who were hired as evening Instructors for Ivy Tech and did much of the initial course development. In addition to course development and finding instructors, multiple informational sessions were held around the state to raise interest among potential students. The Marketing Committee was responsible for the rollout of the website, “Get Into Energy Indiana”, as well as statewide program brochures and display units for open houses and job fairs. A speaker’s bureau with standard presentation materials was developed and outreach efforts to high schools and middle schools were expanded. Funds from the DOL one million dollar grant have provided tuition costs for the majority of the students actively enrolled in the energy programs. The IEC has seen an increase in the number of people regularly attending meetings. Due to this continued growth, the group was reorganized to allow greater opportunities for individuals to contribute to its success. New committees have been formed and a core leadership team added to provide direction and ease the decision making process. KENTUCKY The first meeting of the Kentucky Energy Workforce Consortium was held March 19, 2010 in Frankfort, Kentucky. The meeting was organized by the Kentucky Department of Energy and from that meeting, a core leadership group of utility, education, and workforce representatives was formed. Kentucky is in the process of establishing its consortium structure and areas of focus.


LOUISIANA The Louisiana Energy Industrial and Construction Consortium (LEICC) held its first meeting in 2010 in which it crafted the charter, mission, and governing documents. It is a committed core group of Industry, Education and Government members including Louisiana Workforce Commission and the Louisiana Department of Education. This year, it plans to expand the membership and participation in the consortium to include populating subcommittees and appointing chairs. They are in the process of determining and prioritizing areas of focus for their projects but future plans include working with community colleges and technical schools to develop training programs: Line Technician program and utility foundation skills program. MARYLAND The Maryland Consortium published its final report, Maryland Energy Industry Workforce Report: Preparing Today’s Workers for Tomorrow’s Opportunities, with recommendations to private and public partners on ways to attract, recruit and train a skilled energy workforce. These recommendations were presented and validated by more than 250 industry leaders and other stakeholders from government, education, and the workforce and economic development communities at an energy summit hosted by Governor O’Malley, Governor’s Workforce Investment Board (GWIB) and the Maryland Consortium in July, 2009. http://www.mdworkforce.com/pub/pdf/energyworkforce.pdf The Consortium facilitated joint planning between Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), Maryland Energy Administration (MEA), and the Construction and Energy Technical Education Consortia to develop a training program for weatherization technicians, including energy auditors. The training program opened in July 2009 and is operated through Maryland’s 14 community colleges. The Consortium’s administrative sponsor, GWIB, organized a Maryland interagency Green Jobs/Economy Work Group to develop a strategic plan for expanding the green economy and promoting the creation of jobs for many sectors, including energy. The group includes: Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, MEA, Department of Business and Economic Development, DHCD, Department of General Services, and the Department of Natural Resources. GWIB developed a “Green Jobs” webpage http://www.dllr.maryland.gov/greenjobs/ which includes information about energy careers, and links to related resources. In addition, GWIB co-sponsored an energy technician education and training forum with the Maryland TIME Center and the National Science Foundation/Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center (ATEEC). The forum’s contributions will be used to update The Defining Energy Technologies and Services report. The consortium is in the process of transitioning from a GWIB subcommittee to a more structured energy consortium. Among the projects in progress is a partnership between Constellation Energy and the College of Southern Maryland to implement an I & C technician program. The project was funded by a Community Based Jobs Training Grant from DOL. MICHIGAN The Michigan Energy Workforce Consortium identified projected utility workforce attrition data over the next five years for approximately 55 job groups, which translated to 15 job 'buckets' or families. MEWC initiated the building of curriculum models for use by community colleges to support training for 15 job families identified above. Finally, we submitted an FOA 152 grant application with community colleges and the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth and were awarded $4.4 million. MEWC’s focus now is to develop and implement a detailed FOA 152 funding work plan. MINNESOTA One of the most significant accomplishments on the Minnesota Energy Workforce Consortia is its work with state colleges. In the Fall of 2009 nine colleges within the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities began offering an innovative two-year degree program that prepares students to work either in the renewable energy or traditional energy industries. The development of the new degree program – believed to be the first of its kind in the country – was funded mostly with a three-year $1 million High Growth Job Training Initiative grant from the U. S. Department of Labor. Besides earning an energy technical specialist degree, students will be able to earn an additional certificate in one of four specialties – ethanol production, biodiesel production, wind energy generation and maintenance, and solar energy installation and maintenance. The certificate programs will be available online.


“This innovative approach uses our colleges and universities to meet a critical need of Minnesota’s traditional and emerging energy industries,” said Chancellor James H. McCormick. “Traditional energy employers have an aging workforce while renewable energy producers are struggling to find workers with the appropriate technical skills. This helps us fulfill one of our strategic directions – which is to enhance the state’s ability to compete. ” MEC plans to expand the Energy Technical Specialist degree to include a nuclear specialty, using curriculum aligned with the Nuclear Energy Institute. Led by Xcel Energy, St. Cloud Technical College, and Dakota County Technical College. Also planned is the creation of a bridge program to prepare workers for entry into the Energy Technical Specialist degree and the certificates funded by the U.S. DOL grant. The project is a partnership between St. Paul Adult Basic Education, Ramsey County Workforce Center, and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, funded through a state grant. MEC has just started work on an apprenticeships committee and a nuclear energy education committee. The Apprentice Committee has begun to discuss with the Minnesota IBEW locals, its interest to partner with them on ways to enhance their apprentice programs. MEC has developed the Minnesota Energy Careers website (www.mnenergycareers.org). MISSISSIPPI The Mississippi Energy & Industrial Construction Consortium (MEICC) has been successful in gaining a “seat at the table” in state level decision making related to energy policy and education. In 2009 the Governor created the Mississippi Energy Policy Institute to develop and recommend an integrated state-wide energy policy. The MEPI includes an Energy Workforce sub-committee that includes the MEICC Chairman, and Co-Chair. The MEICC has facilitated building partnerships that have applied for and been awarded state and federal grant funding to support energy workforce development. The MEICC assisted Mississippi in defining “Green Energy Jobs” in the state. MEICC continues its engagement in developing a cohesive integrated energy policy for Mississippi. It supports the state’s high school curriculum redesign effort with the goal of including energy related topics and learning objectives. It is working to acquire funding for two workforce development efforts in central Mississippi: a lineman training program and an Energy Systems Technology A.S. program. MISSOURI Formed in November 2008, the Missouri Energy Workforce Consortium (MEWC) has built, and continues to build, relationships with other energy industry employers and the current consortium officers were elected in the Fall of 2009. The Consortium identified target audiences for career outreach and methods of communication. In November 2009, MEWC initiated a gap analysis between needed skills and current education/training capacity in Missouri. This was a statewide inventory of educational/training providers and employer needs (current, and 5- and 10-year time horizons). MEWC collaborated with Missouri Division of Workforce Development to submit a successful proposal to the US Department of Labor under the State Energy Sector and Partnership and Training Grant program. The award complements other grants secured by State of Missouri organizations that focus on various segments of energy industry employment needs (e.g, the State’s DOL Labor Market Information grant for green jobs, Ameren’s Dept of Energy grant for SmartGrid workforce development). MEWC implemented the process of benchmarking energy curricula using the CEWD/DOL-ETA Energy Competency Model (starting with five community college degree programs in solar PV, as part of the SESP grant); this initial benchmarking will be eventually expanded to other occupational pathways and other schools. MEWC's 2010 priorities include:


• Develop an integrated plan for career awareness targeted for active duty and dissociated military personnel with background skills related to the energy industry. This plan (being spearheaded by the Untapped Labor subcommittee in collaboration with the Missouri Division of Workforce Development’s Veterans Office and the state-based federal DOL Veterans Office representatives) will include opportunities for immediate employment, as well as educational and/or training pathways to gain any needed competencies for employment. (This plan for veterans priority recruiting is an excellent fit with the goals and objectives of the DOL SESP grant.)

• Regarding the benchmarking initiative, our goal for 2010 is to have benchmarking of the five SESP grant community

colleges done for solar and wind technician degree programs, upon which benchmarking of other occupational pathways can be initiated.

• Continue soliciting additional energy industry employers to become engaged in MEWC activities, targeting the

remaining utilities in the State as well as relevant construction trades industry employers. NEVADA Nevada is initial planning and hopes to hold first meeting in November 2010.

NEW JERSEY The New Jersey Energy Workforce Consortium Planning Committee began discussing the potential launch of a New Jersey consortium in May of this year Members of the state utility industry as well as representatives from education institutions and government offices gathered during the first meeting in late July, 2009. The goal of the initial meeting was to identify the state’s most pressing work force needs and validate the need for a consortium. It was unanimous that, in fact, a consortium was needed. Our second meeting was held in September and we approved the consortium’s governance structure, the creation of an executive committee and four subcommittees: career awareness and outreach, policy and funding strategies, education, and labor market information and analysis. The subcommittees are in the process of establishing goals and miles for 2010. New Jersey will have a new Governor in 2010, thus a new administration. We are currently working to understand the new governor’s priorities and trying to ensure that he will support the consortium’s objectives moving forward. OHIO The Ohio Energy Workforce Consortium (OWEC) has formed committees and started to work on filling them from CEWD members in Ohio. The OEWC Executive committee has been meeting regularly and has finalized the charter for concurrence by the membership. Strategic planning is underway and an action plan has been developed to add OEWC members, fill the committees, and develop a budget, grant planning, etc. OEWC is working to build 3 strong committees: Education/Policy, Career Awareness & Untapped Labor. A priority is to recruit more industry leaders to chair committees and serve on the executive committee and to establish a communication plan to state leaders. OREGON In July 2009 CEWD held the Northwest regional meeting in Portland Oregon and many participated from around Oregon and Washington. It was there that we were sold on the need to form a consortium for Oregon and SW Washington. Several individuals raised their hands to be part of that effort. Almost immediately the three key utilities, PacifiCorp, Portland General Electric, and Bonneville Power Administration started to work together on outreach to high schools and community colleges. We have ordered materials from the CEWD site and have printed items with our three logos for use in 2010. During Q4 a small team from the utilities, from Public Power, Labor, and Oregon state government met to do the leg work in creating a consortium. On January 22, 2010, more than 45 individuals representing a wide array of utilities, workforce development, educational institutions, non-profit and other pipeline entities met to discuss the need, purpose, and initial goals of the new Oregon/SW Washington Energy Consortium.


It has established a charter and structure of the Consortium and will work to encourage participation by actual men and women employed in energy trades and professions. The consortium established four subcommittees: RETENTION, GROW OUR OWN, RETRAINING, and ATTRACTION. They are in the process of defining committee key performance indicators. PENNSYLVANIA Consortium held first meeting in December 2009. The main areas of focus for 2010 are career awareness and to identify training gaps for critical positions within Pennsylvania. They are working on a marketing campaign to brand energy careers in Pennsylvania and are focused on doing outreach to High Schools to raise awareness. PEWC is compiling a list of industry partnerships with unions and energy companies to determine how industry partnerships overlap/intersect with green jobs efforts – how do traditional energy and green interrelate and how do the industry partnerships define themselves in that context PEWC is also working on gathering data on current training programs available in the state through Pennsylvania education system (career and technical, community colleges, universities, etc.) to develop a supply and demand gap analysis. TENNESSEE In 2009 the Tennessee Energy, Industry and Construction Consortium (TEICC) developed and implemented a tactical plan which included developing a web site and marketing materials targeted at middle- and high- school students, and participating in guidance counselor and technology education teacher conferences, as well as other events. TEICC members participated in over fifteen of these events, targeting Career & Technical Education and school counselor events, and providing informational handouts and website demonstrations. They also delivered panel discussions regarding workforce development issues with TEICC members from differing perspectives – industry, craft, Dept of Labor and Technology Centers. TEICC has provided panel discussions to state-wide Labor/Management Conferences, School Counselors and Administrators Conference, and Career and Technical Education Conferences. TEICC provided programs at each meeting to educate members on different programs available and opportunities for collaboration – IBM academic programs for energy, Regional Strategic Skills Forecast Research Report, CEWD, grant opportunities, Boy Scouts Career Exploration Program, etc. Due to the current economic condition, TEICC sought ways to reach out to transitioning workers, not just students, teachers, and school counselors. They are developing a strategy in coordination with the Tennessee Technology Center system, which deploys rapid response teams when workers are being laid off, to provide information on skilled craft positions and the education required. This revised focus may also help TEICC to receive grant funding TEICC recently received 501 C6 designation. TEXAS Although the anticipated shortage of skilled utility workers remains a key challenge for the Texas energy industry, the Texas consortia met all of its strategic workforce development objectives for 2009. Education, engineering, entry-level technical curriculum development, skills development, resource acquisition, and statewide recruiting activities have been the consortia’s primary focus. The Texas Nuclear Workforce Development Initiative in collaboration with STP Nuclear Operating Company (STPNOC), Exelon, Luminant, and Texas A&M University (TAMU) has developed and launched several education initiatives during 2009 including power engineering degree, multidisciplinary experiences, reactor operator training, and distance learning opportunities. The Department of Nuclear Engineering at TAMU is the lead institution in the development of a four-year Nuclear


Power Engineering Technology curriculum. This initiative is led by the Nuclear Power Institute (NPI) a division of the Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES). The Nuclear Power Technology (NPT) 2-year degree program and enhanced nuclear certifications are now being offered at Brazosport College, Victoria College, and Wharton County Junior College. To date, the NPT degree program has yielded 8 graduates, all of which have accepted employment offers from STPNOC. This program was originally designed as a generic nuclear program and would establish a workforce pipeline to feed nuclear entry level disciplines in operations, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and controls, health physics, and chemistry. STPNOC is 1 of the 5 pilot organizations that are participating in the nuclear industries’ Uniform Curriculum alignment initiative. Whereas the generic NPT degree program curriculum would be aligned to ACAD academic standards. During 2008/2009 a 2-year Radiation Protection (RP) degree program was developed and successfully launched at Texas State Technical College (TSTC). This initiative will support RP present staffing needs at the South Texas Project and Comanche Peak Nuclear plants, as well as, 8 projected reactor new builds in Texas. The Texas consortium has received a variety of governmental funding support for training the nuclear workforce of the future. The Texas State Legislature has approved $5 million in support of the Nuclear Power Institute for the 2010—2011 biennium. The first $1 million is from the Texas general fund, and the remaining $4 million from federal stimulus funds awarded to Texas. The Department of Labor (DOL) has awarded the consortia $1,888,417.00 for community based job training program (CBJT), which supports the educational nuclear activities of Victoria College, Brazosport College, Wharton County Junior College, and Texas State Technical College. This grant award will be used to increase participant training, capacity building, course development, classroom and lab expansion, and administrative and faculty support. The named colleges are in the process of procuring classroom assets and teaching aid including; boiler/condenser receivers, generator/turbine sets, computer-based nuclear power plant simulators, and related safety equipment. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has awarded the educational consortium $356,000 in nuclear scholarships for 2-year nuclear degree programs. Nearly 70 students have directly benefited from the award, bringing the total to more than 400 students enrolled in 2-year nuclear degree programs around the state increase of nearly 60%. TSTC was also awarded $93,456 from the NRC for the implementation of a nuclear welding training program and $285,193 from the National Science Foundation for Advanced Technology Education. Lastly, the Texas consortium continues to expand its pilot educational initiatives and matured programs throughout the state. The POWERSET (Powerful Opportunities for Women Eager and Ready for Science, Engineering and Technology) program has expanded to POWERSET/WIT (Workforce Industry training) and targets both male and female high school math and science students. The Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) summer internship program continues to grow attracting science and math high school teachers from the around the state. Select teachers will spend four weeks at the TAMU campus to interact with nuclear professors, learn about nuclear research programs, and work at nuclear laboratories and reactor. The teachers will also intern at the STP nuclear plant to gain first-hand knowledge of plant operations. VIRGINIA The Virginia Energy Workforce Consortia is in the process of re-organizing after considerable change in leadership. WASHINGTON The Washington State Center of Excellence for Energy Technology (COE) housed at Centralia College leads the statewide consortium comprised of industry, organized labor, workforce and economic development leaders that are creating collaborative strategies to meet the energy industry’s workforce needs across the state. The model has increased statewide energy training capacity for the community college system from 4 to 19 colleges by creating niche energy programs (Shoreline CC-solar, Edmonds CC-energy management, Walla Walla CC-wind and Centralia C-power production). Working with organized labor and the Washington State University Extension Energy Program the COE has been the catalyst for development of 16 new occupational skill standards that are integrated into post-secondary degree programs, pre-apprenticeship and industry and labor registered apprenticeship programs. The COE has also provided faculty development to ensure consistent delivery of programs (i.e. energy efficiency train the trainer, summer class, 10 colleges represented). In addition to the successes mentioned above, the following have also been accomplished for incumbent worker training:

• Bonneville Power online apprenticeship program in place


• Seattle Steam online - Panglobal program for skills upgrade from gas fired to bio mass steam generation • General Physics Branded website utilized by: Puget Sound Energy (PSE), Bureau of Reclamation Grand Coulee Dam,

Lewis County PUD, and the Centralia College 2nd year Energy Program • Integration of skill standards into apprentice programs (PSE) • New Multi Occupational Degree Program for potential advancement to bachelor’s degree

Financial assistance for this work has come from many sources including the State of Washington, the Pacific Mountain Workforce Development Council, a WIRED grant supporting energy development in five counties of southwest Washington, Veterans Conservation Corp, Scholarships, and Department of Labor ARRA funding.

Documents

State Energy Workforce Consortia