Green Jobs // Current TV

Ecotech Institute Increases Veterans’ Resources, Including Partnership with Veterans Green Jobs

Ecotech Institute, the first and only college entirely focused on renewable energy and sustainability, today announced that it has formed a relationship with Colorado-based Veterans Green Jobs, whose mission is to engage, transition and connect military veterans with meaningful employment opportunities. About 15 percent of Ecotech’s current student population is made up of military veterans.

Together, Ecotech and Veterans Green Jobs will focus on encouraging and enhancing opportunities for military veterans by promoting career opportunities in the green jobs sector, both in Colorado and nationally.

“Our military population has already been through so much and we want to make sure we’re providing the support they need to excel in school and go on to have productive careers,” said Michael Seifert, president of Ecotech Institute. “Veterans Green Jobs has a similar focus, believing that the right jobs can make all the difference in helping our military veterans enjoy a successful life after service.”

As part of its commitment to military students, Ecotech recently hosted a seminar on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), taught by the Denver Department of Veterans Affairs. Ecotech administration, program directors and instructors attended the session to better understand what many student veterans are going through. According to “Help my PTSD,” one in every five military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan has PTSD and in the past year the number of diagnosed cases in the military has jumped 50 percent.

At Ecotech, 67 students are either military veterans or currently serving in the military. Of those, three will graduate on June 21, 2012. One of those students is Monica Soto, who will graduate in June with a degree in Wind Energy Technology. Monica spent more than eight years in the Navy as an aircraft mechanic, but after 9/11 she left the Navy to be closer to her son and build a career where she could raise him in one place. After trying some other career paths, she found Ecotech when seeking an opportunity that would capitalize on her training and previous associate’s degree, and also build a bridge between her time in the military and her life as a civilian.

“As a single mom and 100 percent disabled vet, I didn’t know where to find my place in the civilian community and Ecotech met my needs in a variety of ways,” said Soto. “I knew my purpose in the Navy and felt lost after I left; I now feel a purpose again. I’m excited about putting my skills to work to better my own family and our environment.”

Ecotech Institute will have its first graduating class in June 2012. Ecotech Institute, which is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, offers highly practical renewable energy degree programs that provide graduates with skills valued by today’s alternative cleantech employers.

Learn more about Ecotech Institute, or call 877-326-5576. The next round of classes begins in late June and applications are being accepted now. Financial assistance is available to those who qualify.Ecotech Institute, the first and only college entirely focused on renewable energy and... more

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Ecotech’s “Women in Renewable Energy” Club Mirrors Department of Labor Push to Get More Women Interested in Green Jobs

Historically men have dominated green jobs, yet a new report is trying to shift the tides. The report recently released by the Department of Labor, “Why Green Is Your Color: A Woman's Guide to a Sustainable Career,” highlights the fact that green jobs tend to be dominated by men, yet opportunities abound for women as well. It has been noticed as well by Ecotech Institute, the first and only college entirely focused on preparing America’s workforce for careers in renewable energy and sustainability. In fact, the school held its first “Women in Renewable Energy” (WIRE) meeting on February 16 to bring together women at the campus to share ideas, help each other with classwork and empower one another as they embark on a green career.

Ecotech is seeing increasingly more women interested in the green revolution and it is a trend the Labor Department wants to see continue. The Labor Department states that according to The National Center for O*NET Development, several green occupations are “Bright Outlook” occupations, meaning they are expected to grow rapidly from 2008 – 2018, with a combined increase of 100,000 or more job openings. Some jobs designated as “Bright Outlook” are wind turbine service technicians, solar photovoltaic installers and recycling coordinators.

The impetus for the report was in support of Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis’s vision of “Good Jobs for Everyone.” The downloadable green jobs guide is designed to help women learn about the opportunities available in the renewable energy space, which they may not have previously considered. According to the report synopsis, “The guide was created to help women at all stages of their careers — whether they are newly entering the workforce, transitioning to new careers, or returning to the workforce — identify and take advantage of opportunities in the clean energy economy.”

“We are focused on making Ecotech a welcoming environment for women because we know they have a lot to offer in current and emerging green careers,” said Susan Pawlak, Ecotech’s Director of Career Services. “Our Women in Renewable Energy Club is just one way that Ecotech encourages women to make a mark in wind, solar, renewable energy and other industries alongside their male colleagues.”

The club held elections on February 23 and the new leaders are tasked with growing the club’s membership and educating more women about careers in sustainability. Tiffany Burton, an Electrical Engineering Technology instructor, is the academic advisor; Suzanne Colton, Senior Recruiter for NextEra Energy Resources is the industry advisor; and Susan Pawlak, Ecotech’s Director of Career Services, is a general advisor.

Ecotech’s curriculum is built to address both job-specific technical training and soft skills (e.g. communication, work ethic and teamwork), which employers demand, through comprehensive coursework and state-of-the-art labs. The Labor Department report parallels Ecotech’s vision for job training and is chock-full of applicable information that defines what a green career really is, explains why there is a growing need for trained professionals, and outlines what training is necessary.

“We have dynamic, driven women in both leadership and student roles at Ecotech and they send an important message of encouragement that females have a promising future in renewable careers,” said Mike Seifert, president of Ecotech Institute.

To read the full “Why Green Is Your Color: A Woman's Guide to a Sustainable Career” report click here: http://www.dol.gov/wb/Green_Jobs_Guide/GreenJobs%20Ch%201.pdf.

Ecotech Institute, which is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, offers seven highly practical degree programs and one certificate program that provide graduates with skills valued by today’s alternative renewable energy employers.Historically men have dominated green jobs, yet a new report is trying to shift the... more

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Ecotech Institute’s Student Population Grows Nearly 400 Percent in One Year

Ecotech Institute, the first and only college entirely focused on preparing America’s workforce for careers in renewable energy and sustainability, announced today that its January quarter kicked off with 100 new students, the largest start to date. With total current enrollment at 473 students, Ecotech witnessed a student population increase of almost 400 percent in just one year.

Ecotech Institute started classes in a temporary facility in June 2010 as it completed an overhaul of an existing vacant building. In January 2011, Ecotech’s 119 students began attending school in its LEED gold-certified campus in Aurora, Colorado. Since then, the facility’s offerings, faculty and student enrollment have continually experienced growth and improvement.

This June, the first graduating class of 39 students is expected to receive their degrees and in December 2012, another 50 students are expected to graduate. Of these students, the most popular degrees include Wind Energy Technology, Renewable Energy Technology and Electrical Engineering Technology.

“We knew we had something special when Ecotech opened its doors, and it’s inspiring to see increasingly more students come from across the country to pursue a degree that can truly make a difference in the world,” said Mike Seifert, president of Ecotech Institute. “With our first group of graduates in June, we can’t wait to see where they go and to hear their stories of success. This is definitely going to be a big year for us.”

Today, 90 percent of Ecotech’s students are men and 77 percent of the students are from Colorado. However, every day more and more students are moving from other states to pursue a degree at Ecotech, with students from 37 states and Puerto Rico currently represented. The top states from which Ecotech students have relocated include California, New Jersey, Wyoming, Illinois and Texas.

With the growth in students comes a growth in faculty as well. When Ecotech first opened, the school had one program director and two instructors. Ecotech now has three program directors and 24 instructors who teach in 11 hands-on learning labs. Ecotech’s holistic teaching approach gives students a chance to learn first-hand about the technology they will use in the field of their future career. At Ecotech, students also learn soft skills (communication, workplace etiquette), math and science basics and technology skills.

Ecotech Institute, which is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, offers seven highly practical degree programs and one certificate program that provide graduates with skills valued by today’s alternative renewable energy employers.

To learn more about Ecotech Institute, visit us online at www.ecotechinstitute.com or call 877-326-5576. The next round of classes begins in April and applications are being accepted now. Financial assistance is available to those who qualify.Ecotech Institute, the first and only college entirely focused on preparing... more

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Green Jobs Make Up 35% of Design and Construction Industry

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The Real Payback on Green Job Training Programs

Analysts with no field experience can paint a very bleak picture of the green job market and related training programs. In reality, hard numbers on employment post training are hard to come by. A handful of eager media representatives characterized green training programs as ineffective, drains on the economy, and in the worst reports as adding more to the problem than the solution. The benefits of these programs for individuals, communities, and the potential growth of the US’s renewables market is rarely quantified in numbers. The reality experienced by actual trainees is quite different.

Green job training programs typically focus on energy efficiency and renewables education for low-income and/or blue collar communities. The objective is simple: to educate the working class of America for jobs in one of the most stable sectors in the US market. Since the majority of work previously done by the working class has been exported to countries with cheap labor, the United States has struggled to create industries to employ its population without college-level degrees. This sector of the population typically works hourly jobs without benefits, pensions, or significant opportunities for advancement. Green job training programs were originally designed to provide these individuals with relevant training in a growing field.

Admittedly, the field has not grown fast enough to provide work for all of the newly trained individuals, yet this trend is similar to all sectors of the economy including finance and technology. With renewables making up 7% of the nation’s energy mix, the opportunities in the field are limited. Yet the growth of small to medium businesses that are providing home energy audits, energy efficiency programs, and other services that address the energy sector are seeing significant growth. Traditionally, the United States invests in various job training programs dependent on the potential of future markets. Renewables has garnered international respect, and in many cases necessity, as a market that will grow and continue to evolve into the foreseeable future.

Post Continues: http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/05/real-payback-green-job-training-programs/Analysts with no field experience can paint a very bleak picture of the green job... more

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Ecotech Institute Increases Veterans’ Resources, Including Partnership with Veterans Green Jobs

Must see for climate change skeptic republicans.

BBC News - China's small electric vehicles are gaining ground

Ecotech’s “Women in Renewable Energy” Club Mirrors Department of Labor Push to Get More Women Interested in Green Jobs

Obama Should Go Solar

Ecotech Institute’s Student Population Grows Nearly 400 Percent in One Year

Green Jobs Make Up 35% of Design and Construction Industry

NREL | Green Jobs Farm | Colorado

Green Jobs Numbers Disappointing

Watergate Times Three

Where is MSNBC?

A bad day for transforming "Amerika"

Solyndra is just the tip of the iceburg

Help Save the Pennsylvania Conservation Corps

The Real Payback on Green Job Training Programs

Green Jobs Will Trump Climate Change for Young Voters

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