New energy technology needs new technicians

As Northern Colorado positions itself as a leader in new energy technology, the region’s colleges are taking on new curriculum tailored to meet the needs of the field’s existing employers.

Two community colleges are already seeing success with new programs training entry-level workers for the energy industry. The programs, made possible by Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development, or WIRED, grants, include both soft and technical skills and industry participation.

Both Aims Community College in Greeley and Front Range Community College in Fort Collins were awarded WIRED grants at the start of the year for programs aimed at better preparing potential energy industry employees. Both programs were born out of a meeting last fall of industry, government and education where employers were able to lay out what skills applicants were lacking.

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Aims worked with Employment Services of Weld County, recipient of the $334,000 grant, to launch the MIST – multiple industry systems technician – certificate program.

Linda Perez, director of Employment Services, said the goal is to improve a wide range of skills to make applicants more competitive. Aims will administer the certificate-track courses, while Employment Services is hosting a prep academy.

“That was one of the cornerstones of our proposal,” Perez said.

The prep academy will offer remedial training in basic math, writing and other skills that students will need to succeed in the Aims courses. Perez said about 60 percent of the current 50 prep academy participants just need a refresher because they have been out of the educational system – in the workforce, but looking to switch gears.

The goal of the program is to enroll 120 through the next year, and have 100 end up employed in the energy industry. Perez, who feels they will meet the goal, said Employment Services will follow-up with individuals who complete the program.

First wave of MIST

Aims will enroll its first wave of students into the MIST program this fall. Brenda Rask, associate dean for Aims’ Career and Technical Education program, said that final enrollment numbers are not in yet, but that interest in the program has been strong. She estimates there will be between 30 and 45 students from Employment Service’s prep academy, as well as students from Weld County School Districts 6 and 8. The district’s have committed to about 25 slots in the course.

Aims was able to align the industry’s needs with classes already being taught, such as manufacturing and business management that covered some of the desired soft skills. Aims did add some courses to fill out the program – a blueprint reading class, process technology for equipment, instrumentation and an introduction to carpentry.

With the curriculum in place and students enrolling, the work is not yet done.

“Our intention is sustainability of the program,” she said.

Right now, the MIST program includes a 16-credit Level One certificate and a 16-credit Level Two certificate. Rask hopes to develop a level three certificate and eventually add a full two-year degree.

The MIST program consulted with employers such as Xcel Energy and United Power. Rask hopes to finalize plans in the near future to further involve industry with the growth of the program.

Getting Energy Boost

Front Range Community College launched its own WIRED-enabled energy employment program this summer. Energy Boost held its first classes this summer and has three more sessions scheduled for this fall. The 80-hour sessions have a limit of 20 students each, and the first two sessions were completely full.

“Mostly we’re seeing non-traditional folks who are out in the workforce and are looking for better employment,´ said Lynn Vosler, director of Front Range’s Institute for Community and Professional Development at the Larimer Campus. She said the starting salary for the targeted positions is around $30,000.

Due to the different needs of potential students, the sessions are being offered either on evenings and weekends or in a two-week, all-day format. The grant is paying for eight sessions, with student tuition fully covered except for a $50 application fee.

“The pool of people is there,” Vosler said, adding that they just need to polish some skills to compete in the burgeoning energy industry.

Like the Aims program, Front Range is working with local energy industry employers to determine what they are looking for, and many times not seeing, in entry-level employees. The program is working with Woodward Governor Co., Vestas Wind Systems, Advanced Energy, Platte River Power Authority, Solix Biofuels and others. Vosler said she is hearing that applicants are often lacking the necessary math skills and basic work skills, such as the ability to work in teams.

Identifying needed skills

For Woodward Governor, defining its hiring needs was an easy exercise.

“We’ve been hiring over the last year at a pretty good pace,´ said Keith Korasick, director of manufacturing for Woodward. He said that the company has been resigned to hiring people that might not have all of the skills needed, and Woodward takes on the added expense of in-house training programs and employee development.

Woodward’s human resources department started working with Front Range early in the grant writing process, helping to identify the technical and soft skills that applicants were missing. Korasick became involved once the grant was awarded to assist with developing the curriculum.

So far, Woodward has hired four of the program’s participants as temporary employees through Adecco. The company often hires for its production team through the temp agency in order to gauge a potential employee’s aptitude for technical work. Korasick added that graduates from the program have already proven they have the right mindset.

“What it shows us is that they have the right attitude and want to improve,” he explained.

Korasick is also working with Front Range on the next step in the career ladder – a two-year degree program focused on engineering technology. Front Range continues to look for industry involvement in growing the program and could see such a program develop as early as January.