Zane State Receives Grant to Train Advanced Energy Workers
Written by LeeAnn Moore of the Zanesville Times Recorder June 30, 2010
A nearly $3 million job training grant will provide opportunities for Zane State College students to study new energy sources.
Zane State College President Paul Brown said he learned the college was a recipient of the grant Tuesday, but groundwork to move forward with new energy programs is already under way at the college.
"We've already been working behind the scenes to get energy programs approved by the Ohio Board of Regents. This is a direction we were going anyway," Brown said. "The job training grant is going to help us really now be able to move more aggressively in this area."
The college will receive $2,988,261 through the U.S. Department of Labor's community-based job training grant program. The program supports efforts of community colleges to train and prepare workers for employment in high-growth and other emerging industries.
In this case, Brown said, students in Guernsey, Muskingum and Noble counties will be offered job training in clean energy sources as well as traditional sources like natural gas and sustainable agriculture.
"The need is there, for jobs in this area. Students will be able to start taking the programs in the fall, which will allow them to get an associate of technical studies in this area," Brown said.
The grant will provide training for 600 students in Guernsey, Muskingum and Noble counties in jobs that promote energy efficiency, energy independence and environmental protection.
Around 450 people are expected to enroll in job training programs, and it will help more than 200 retain positions in the energy sector.
Zane State will partner with organizations such as Cambridge-Guernsey County Community Improvement Corp., Guernsey County Department of Job and Family Services, Guernsey Muskingum Electric Cooperative, Muskingum County Opportunity Center, Ohio Mid-Eastern Government Association, Ohio Farm Bureau Federation-Energy Services and Society of Petroleum Engineers-Ohio Petroleum section to provide the training.
"We're going to partner with all of those collaboratives to really establish a comprehensive program in the green energy field. Students will be able to train in up-and-coming jobs in the alternative energy sector and traditional energy sectors. These are good-paying jobs, not only looking at the efficiency of these systems, but we're looking at being able to audit these systems and all those areas are programs for technicians," Paul Brown said.
Students in the parks and recreation, energy and environmental fields will benefit from the grant, Paul Brown said. He said students in these fields will have the opportunity to sign up for the opportunities with the participating organizations.
He said there is already staff available to teach these courses, but additional staff might be added as the program grows, which he expects to happen.
"We definitely expect growth. This is an area that is a high priority for the country and for the region, so that's how we create new programs, because the need is there," Paul Brown said.
Zane State College Chief Academic Officer Chad Brown said energy sectors have been identified where the college either already has programs available to students or they will be added this fall, like alternative energy.
"The idea was that these would be more short-term job training opportunities and those could be coupled together over time to create more long-term degree work," Chad Brown said.
He said there are more than 100 students enrolled in the electrical engineering technology program now.
"And that's a very specific area within this and that's only one sector within eight we've identified," Chad Brown said. "We're talking significant numbers of students. We're projecting that over a three-year time period this will reach between 450 and 600 students."