Energy Educators' Association

The center continues to support this fantastic program that began as an NSF grant funded project in 2010. Currently, this group is included as a ListServe that receives emails containing information on grants, events, news and more.

About the Energy Educators’ Association (EEA)

Virtual and hybrid events are created exclusively for the EEA enabling them to network with peers and learn industry workforce gaps/needed skills and abilities. All educators involved with instruction related to energy generation/transmission/distribution; EV technologies including transportation and infrastructure; and emerging technologies in hydrogen, biofuels, SMRs and fusion are welcome.

No cost to join. For more information or to be added to this group, contact the center’s director, monica.brummer@centralia.edu.

 

EEA History

National Science Foundation logo
National Science Foundation
Advanced Technical Education Project Grant, #1002931

Meeting the Challenge of Energy Management in a Carbon-Constrained World

PROJECT DURATION: 08/01/2010 – 7/30/2014
COST: $628,253

EEA_board
EEA original board members (pictured left to right in 2014): Larry Owens, Carol Lewellen, Tom Barr and Alison Pugh. Not pictured: Gail Alexander.

Publications

Energizing the Industry: Workforce Challenges, Alan Hardcastle

Project Brief, Smarter Grid Innovations Summit, Faculty Institute, June 24, 2011

Principal Investigator: Alison Pugh, Edmonds Community College
Co-Principal Investigators: Ron Wheadon, Cascadia Community College; Mel Oyler, Cascadia Community College; Barbara Hins-Turner, Pacific Northwest Center of Excellence for Clean Energy; and Alan Hardcastle, Washington State University–Energy Extension.

Background:
Current educational and training capacity in energy management is inadequate to keep pace with industry growth and surging demand for a skilled energy management workforce (“Energy Efficiency Industry Trends,” Hardcastle, et. al). Edmonds Community College (EdCC) in partnership with Cascadia Community College (CCC), the Pacific Northwest Center of Excellence for Clean Energy (PNCECE), and Washington State University-Extension Energy program (WSU-EE) will work with industry and labor representatives in Washington State on this Advanced Technology Education Project for Program Improvement. Meeting the Challenge of Energy Management in a Carbon-Constrained World promises to address this need by bringing it together industry, education, and labor in a collaborative partnership to develop skill profiles that specify the knowledge and abilities required for the development of a successful energy efficiency workforce. The work plan provides professional development opportunities for instructors across the region to incorporate these skill profiles into curriculum to ensure that new and modified programs are relevant to the needs of industry and impart the core knowledge and skills that will help make students and incumbent workers successful. The work plan also maps the myriad of new educational opportunities in energy efficiency into a lattice that charts pathways for student career/educational choices, while decreasing obstacles for students to work between institutions.

For more information, see Meeting the Challenge of Energy Management in a Carbon-Constrained World, Background Document for the Industry and Labor Task Force (pdf).

Project Goal:
To increase the number of energy management professionals with the education and skills necessary to meet the current and projected workforce demands in energy management in Washington state. For information outlining 2010-2012 project activities, see Meeting the Challenge of Energy Management in a Carbon-Constrained World, Project Activities 2010-2012 (pdf).

Objectives:

  1. Establish and disseminate industry identified skills-based training options supporting energy efficiency related industries in order to provide market responsive education for those taking on new responsibilities in energy efficiency and those seeking entry in energy management occupations.
  2. Increase professional-development opportunities in energy management for secondary and community college educators.
  3. Increase the number of qualified technicians with the skills to meet workforce needs in energy technology.
  4. Increase career and educational pathways that span middle school-baccalaureate levels.

Deliverables:

Skill Panels, Skill Profiles & Curriculum

  • With guidance from the Industry and Labor Taskforce, determine occupational clusters in energy management and focus on development of skill profiles, programs and curriculum.
  • Create industry-identified skill profiles for energy management careers using participants recommended by the industry and labor task force as well as the Technical Advisory Committees at both colleges that specify core competencies and performance indicators.
  • Develop core competencies in energy management based upon skill profiles.
  • Develop and update curriculum in energy management based on the skill profiles.
  • Develop curriculum that includes reform pedagogies to retain women and underrepresented minority populations.
  • Strengthen the relationship between industry and education to train the current and future workforce by establishing an Industry and Labor Task Force and coordinating endorsement of energy management programs.

Create Education and Career Pathways

  • Create an education pathway lattice for students in energy management technology.
  • Create and disseminate career awareness materials that market to women and underrepresented minorities.

Delivery & Dissemination

  • Create an education pathway lattice for students in energy management technology.
  • Create and disseminate career awareness materials that market to women and underrepresented minorities.