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Contact: Kimberly Collins
Phone: 202 224-5364 |
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Smith, Wyden Push to Plant Green Roots in Community Colleges
Senators’ bill would spur the growth of green energy job training programs |
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June 13th, 2008 - Washington, DC - To help drive America to a future of clean and independent energy, Oregon Senators Gordon H. Smith and Ron Wyden joined to introduce bipartisan legislation to furnish the U.S. with the next generation of green collar workers. Smith and Wyden’s bill, the Community College Sustainability Act, would provide $100 million in grant funding to strengthen existing sustainability and renewable energy job training programs and create new courses aimed at advancing the nation’s green energy sector.
“To have a greener future tomorrow, we must start investing in green education today,” said Smith. “Our legislation will deliver and empower a skilled workforce to accommodate a future of renewable, independent and clean energy. With plentiful natural resources and sustainable education programs, Oregon can enhance its status as a national leader in clean and renewable energy.”
“Oregon is a national leader in the development of green technologies,” said Senator Wyden. “This legislation will help ensure that Oregon maintains its leadership in this cutting-edge field and prepares Oregonians to fill the green-collar jobs of the future.”
The green economy has been growing at a rate of about five percent annually in the last three years. One environmental coalition, the Apollo Alliance, projects 3 million green-collar jobs will be created in the next decade, based on planned public and private investment.
Oregon has emerged as a leader in green education. Six Oregon community colleges already have existing sustainability and renewable energy programs and degrees. Funding from this bill would help these existing programs to grow and allow community colleges throughout Oregon to develop and implement programs of their own.
Current Oregon community college sustainability and renewable energy programs:
- Columbia Gorge Community College: Recently developed job training programs in wind, solar, biofuels production and hydropower. Just in the Pacific Northwest, developers of wind energy facilities will need 300-500 additional workers in the next decade. The college offers a one-year Certificate and a two-year Associate of Applied Science Degree in Renewable Energy Technology.
- Lane Community College: Offers certificates and two-year degree programs to train students in energy management and renewable energy. Graduates of the program are in high demand by renewable energy companies. Lane Community College is quickly gaining recognition as a national leader in sustainability and has won five renewable energy awards in the past two years.
- Linn-Benton Community College: Students study principles of horticulture, crop science and soil science with an emphasis on sustainable production and ecologically sound resource management.
- Mount Hood Community College: Offers a Sustainable Building Advisor Certificate program for engineers, project managers, resource conservationists, and other building industry professionals.
- Central Oregon Community College: Recently created a nine-month course that is specifically designed for working professionals wishing to apply sustainable concepts to the buildings they design, develop, and construct - buildings that are energy and resource efficient, healthy working and living environments, environmentally responsible and cost effective.
- Portland Community College: From environmental sociology to ecological building design, PCC offers a range of courses to boost environmental literacy and provide practical training in conservation skills and environmental leadership. Sustainability-related certificates and courses include: green architectural drafting, interior design, building construction, landscape technology, and environmental studies.
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