AVONDALE, Ariz.-- Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC) is helping the local energy industry to recruit and train a new generation of skilled workers as part of a U.S. Department of Labor grant initiative. Through its newly formed Energy Institute, EMCC offers a Power Plant Technology (PPT) degree pathway program with national certifications, and is the only college in the state of Arizona to offer the option of a nuclear certification track with the Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Program.
Energy corporations statewide are partnering with their local community colleges to establish programs in order to increase the pipeline of incoming skilled workers within an industry facing high attrition rates over the next few years.
Peter McSparran, Nuclear Training Director at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station (PVNGS), says their goal in working with EMCC is to develop a diverse workforce that supports the critical supply and demand of the positions they need to fill in the coming years. The Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree program and classes are held at the EMCC campus in Avondale, Arizona.
On Thursday, July 18, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., EMCC will be hosting an open house at the Palo Verde Energy Education Center, located at 600 North Airport Road in Buckeye, Arizona, to introduce the EMCC PPT program, faculty, current students and energy employers, as well as highlight career opportunities within the energy industry. The event is free and open to the public, and is intended to recruit students as well as inform attendees. RSVP is required at [email protected], or contact the EMCC Energy Institute, (623) 935-8415.
EMCC’s PPT program is ideal for veterans and those who have an aptitude for working with tools and technology, but opportunities are diverse and open to all types of students. The program also provides a platform for real-world, hands-on experience where students can apply the skills they learn in class with apprenticeship opportunities.
“The apprentices are trained by PVNGS journeymen that have several years of experience, so the students have an opportunity to apply the skills they learn in class, while being mentored by professionals," said McSparran.
EMCC is the lead of five colleges within the state of Arizona, forming the Arizona Sun Corridor- Get Into Energy Consortium (ASC-GIEC). Others include Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Northland Pioneer College, Pima Community College, and Yavapai College, each offering energy-related programs respective to their community and industry partners.
The ASC-GIEC just launched its website, az.getintoenergy.com, which introduces the industry and career options, which may be unfamiliar to many. The site explains energy workforce trends and facts, plus provides career selection features such as job descriptions, expected salaries, and a career quiz to help visitors better define their interests. Also included are the degrees and certificates offered by each of five colleges across the state, which have their defined career pathways, such as EMCC’s PPT degree.
The $13.5 million Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant was awarded to the ASC-GIEC by the U.S. Department of Labor in September of 2012 to help create and develop related curricula in conjunction with energy industry supply and demand needs for the state of Arizona.