“Green” at the Virginia Community College Hire Education Conference

The Virginia Community College System’s Hire Education Conference, Dec 8-10, provided the college

community the opportunity to share best practices in workforce development in many industries, including renewable energy, energy efficiency, and others.

Southwest Virginia Community College (SVCC) is helping students prepare for a career in the energy industry. Two SVCC faculty have successfully completed the solar power training program offered at the North Carolina Solar Center, the Southern Mid-Atlantic Provider of Solar Instructor Training. The program covers government incentives, the technical side of solar energy, curriculum development and hands-on training.

Central Virginia Community College hosts the Virginia Weatherization Training Center (VWTC). The VWTC provides hands-on training and education classes in the Residential Energy Management Program; the training centers are mobile and can be available at other community college locations. Accreditations include BPI (Building Performance Institute) Certified Professional.

Northern Virginia Community College is developing the first online licensure prep courses that will allow Virginia Department of Environmental Quality employees to participate at their work site. The benefits of the online format include increased access, flexibility of enrollment and completion, accommodates shift schedules, and reduces cost of travel and lodging. There are 1,261 waste water treatment plants in Virginia; 126 of these are in Northern Virginia.