WINTER 2008 Vol. 2 No 1 “Green collar” jobs color the ...cleanenergyexcellence.org/wp-content/files_mf/winter08.pdf · Summer Energy Summit on track The 2008 Energy Summit will

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In recent years Washington has emerged as a lead-er in policies that drive investment in clean energy. The state has a renewable electricity standard and a renewable fuel standard to increase the amount of homegrown biofuel as the energy industry is encour-aged to develop new renewable energy alternatives.

An Executive Order issued last year created goals to reduce Washington’s global warming pollution and increase the number of clean energy jobs in the state. The initiative was affirmed by the Legislature this session, which is considering policies that will establish as many as 25,000 so-called “green collar jobs” by 2020.

The state must now increase the infrastructure nec-essary to ensure that these goals will be met, which is what the Climate Action and Green Jobs bills seek to do. House and Senate measures are moving through the legislature right now.

A key measure of the bill, which has gained solid support from industry and environmental concerns alike, would direct the Department of Ecology to de-velop a program to reduce the state’s global climate

impact, transforming what was once just a state goal into firm reduction commitments.

While clean energy industries grow in the state, the bill will also make sure we are investing in the Wash-ington workforce to ensure trained, skilled workers will be ready to take advantage of the employment opportunities created. The bill creates a green-collar training fund that would become operational in 2009 and sets up a pilot green industry skills panel this year to craft strategies to recruit and train workers in clean energy jobs.

The new Climate Action and Green Jobs bill will be the first initiative to link reducing global climate change with opportunities to invest in developing the state’s workforce to meet job growth in the clean en-ergy industry. The bill appears to have strong support in the current legislative session, but the passage of green energy legislation––this term or very soon––seems inevitable.

Center of Excellence director Barbara Hins-Turner examines the potential impact of the state’s “green collar” job training initiative in this issue.

“Green collar” jobs color the future of training; funds set aside to establish industry pilot panel

(360 ) 736 -9391 , ex t . 280 • F rom O lymp ia , 753 -3433 • www.cen t ra l i a .edu /coe /

Summer Energy Summit on track The 2008 Energy Summit will convene on June 26 and 27 at the Pacific Moun-

tain regional training center at the Satsop Campus near Elma. The Summit again includes news of the energy industry, labor, workforce and economic develop-ment, and “Best Practices” initiatives.

Keynote speaker will be W. Randall Rawson, president of the American Boiler Manufacturers Association. ABMA, based in Vienna, Virginia, is the national trade association of commercial institutional, industrial, and energy-generating boiler systems companies.

The opening evening Crab Feed, a social component of the Summit, takes place June 26 and is sponsored by Panglobal Publishing.

The Summit is sponsored by the Centralia College Center of Excellence (COE), Edison Electric Institute for Energy Workforce Development, Grays Harbor Col-lege, Pacific Mountain Workforce Development Council, IBEW Local #77, Wash-ington Public Utility Association, and Idaho State University Energy Systems Tech-nology and Education Center.

For details and an agenda, contact the COE at (360) 736-9391, ext. 280.

ENERGY TECHNOLOGYCENTRALIA COLLEGE

THE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE WINTER 2008 Vol. 2 No 1

Green energy is economicstimulus

There are multiple reasons why the push for green energy is critical. As a local and re-gional economic booster also factors in the equation.

For example: Most renew-able energy investments are spent on materials and work-manship to build and maintain the facilities, rather than on costly energy imports. Renew-able energy investments are usually spent within the United States, frequently in the same state, and often in the same town. This means your energy dollars stay home to create jobs and fuel local economies, rather than going overseas.

Meanwhile, renewable en-ergy technologies developed and built in the United States are being sold overseas, pro-viding a boost to the U.S. trade deficit.

Read about it:The revolution is here...page 2NW abounds in sources of alternative energy...page 3The WIRED grant.........page 4Sen. Cantwell pledges program support........page 5Labor and green collar jobs...................page 6

Curiosity runs high on energy revolution

By Barbara Hins-TurnerAs we have traveled across the country to explore new

partnerships and strengthen existing ones, we’ve found the subject of new “green energy” initiatives on everybody’s mind. We’ll enjoy a challenging mix of conventional energy and emerging alternative energy at the 2008 Energy Summit in June. You won’t want to miss it!

At this moment, curiosity is high regarding regional and national clean energy movements, and we hope to explore some of the answers at the Summit. As the weeks and months pass, curiosity gives way to calculations and plan-ning as alternative energy becomes a fact of life in our industry. Producers,

labor, government, and educa-tion are all gearing up for partic-ipation in this new era of power production and reduced global weather change impacts. It is clear that the energy workforce revolution is being born in the Pacific Northwest, and we believe the Center of Excellence and the powerful partnerships it enjoys are playing a part in this bright fu-ture for alternative energy. We are grateful for Summit sponsorship from national leaders including Edison Electric Institute, Ameri-can Boiler Manufacturers Association, Idaho State University, and Idaho National Laboratories.

It is all about the cause. We are aware that the industry-wide workforce has challenges, but we are joining forces to address them. Our advisory council and partners from labor and industry are already committed to take a leadership role in this new work-force training initiative. An important contribution to our effort is the Electric Sector Labor Market study led by Dr. Alan Hardcastle, WSU Energy Program. The Pacific Mountain Workforce Devel-opment Council joined with industry and labor to release the ini-tial findings of the study to our economic development partners throughout the region.

We were thrilled to receive the Governor’s Best Practices award this year, and we are grateful to IBEW Local 77 for their recogni-tion of the Centralia College COE effort. It was on the recommen-dation of our labor partners that we were considered for the award. We will carry our “Best Practices” commitment into a new kind of workforce training.

This June we’ll be talking more about the addition of alterna-tive energy programs to the power production landscape. As new bills work their way through the Legislature, we will find ourselves in the role of training both conventional and alternative “green collar” work forces for the industry. The Center of Excellence in-tends to be a principal factor in the bright new world of energy. (Note: Barbara Hins-Turner is the director of the Center of Excellence for Energy Technology, based at Centralia College.)


Barbara Hins-Turner

Page 2

The Foundation for Wa-ter and Energy Education (FWEE) is hosting a hydro-power educator’s summit in Vancouver, Wa., March 26-27. The summit will be held at the Vancouver Water Re-sources Center.

In order to develop an engineering and journey workforce for the future, it is important that the industry engage students at an early level, get them excited about the Power Industry, and get them to develop math and science skills.

The educators that attend will be better able to steer their younger students into areas where accurate energy sector information is avail-able, and to let them know what the training options are.

Staff from the Center of Excellence at Centralia Col-lege will be on hand to help in the pre-training recruit-ment process.

The four major showcase sessions are:

• Teaching tools for hy-dropower operations

• Teaching tools for re-newable energy

• Energy conservation programs

• Public safety programsLunch will be furnished

both days by FWEE. For fur-ther details, please call the FWEE at (509) 535-7084.

FWEE hosts educator’s summit

By Pat McCarty, GM of Tacoma Power and Chairman, COE Advisory Board

The Energy Independence Act (I-937) and the Northwest Governor’s Climate Change Initiative are changing the way electric utilities in Washing-ton do business. I-937 requires utilities to provide 15 percent of their energy from eligible renewable resources by 2020; that will amount to over 1,000 average megawatts.

Last year the Legislature passed a bill that ad-opted the Governor’s Climate Change Challenge goals and created a performance standard for elec-trical utilities that imposes carbon emission con-straints which will limit the options for carbon-producing generating plants.

Fortunately, the Northwest has great potential for new forms of renewable energy. Wind farms are spring up in various parts of the state, biomass plants are being constructed, biodiesel refineries are coming on line, the hunt for geothermal energy is expanding near the Cascades, and tidal and wave energy is being investigated in Puget Sound and along the coast.

All of this is happening at a time when a signifi-cant percentage of the electric utility workforce is eligible to retire, while a pipeline of potential new employees is far from full.

Pacific Northwest abounds in alernative (and renewable) energy generation potential

Bill provides for up to 25,000 green collar jobs

The Center of Excellence for Energy Technol-ogy continues to keep a pulse on new and emerg-ing needs of the industry through the COE Advisory Board. We are integrating these new and potential renewable sources into our discussions, strategic plans, and program planning.

The COE advisory board will continue to partner with member utilities as they try to meet their ever changing needs. Our goal is an alignment of current and future workforce needs with the programs, fa-cilities, and classes provided through the COE and our educational partners.

PHOTO


Pat McCarty

As SB 6516 and HB 2815, the Climate Action and Green Jobs bills move through the 2008 Leg-islature, the opportunity for the Centralia College Center of Excellence may continue as the region’s top energy workforce. Director Barbara Hins-Turn-er shared the potential for the legislation.

“We’re in the right place at the right time,” Hins-Turner said. She noted that the COE is already emphasizing renewable energy. The legislation re-quires greenhouse gas production to be measured and emissions reported; and requires the state to design a regional cap and a trade market for carbon emissions by December. The bill also provides for up to 25,000 “green collar” jobs in the state.

“The industry is really faced with ‘how do we meet that demand?’ “Hins-Turner told a reporter in February. “What are the workforce needs?” As those questions are considered, Hins-Turner points to the Skill Standards Panels initiated by the COE as the most reasonable way to get the new workforce initiatives jump-started.

Renewable energy has very quickly become a na-tional concern, and Hins-Turner says the COE will be ready. “It’s the whole focus right now,” she said. “You can’t pick up a paper or tune on a TV without hearing about green energy. We, with our industry and labor partners, intend to be on the leading edge of new workforce training.”

The Clark College Power Utilities Technology Cer-tificate Program prepares stu-dents for various entry level positions in electric utilities, firms servicing the utilities and industrial firms using electrical equipment in their operations. Electric power system opera-tions involve power genera-tion, transmission and distri-bution facilities, and related monitoring, control and pro-tection equipment. Efficient and reliable operation of these systems require operations and maintenance staff who understand the characteristics of the various systems and un-derstand how to safely operate and maintain complex power equipment.

With no previous experi-ence, typical salaries start at between $30,000 to $45,000 annually. As experience and additional education increase the salary range can also increase from $60,000 to $70,000 annually.

Clark College Power Utili-ties Technology Program graduates are now employed in utility apprenticeship programs with Bonneville Power Admin-istration, Clark Public Utilities, and Chelan County PUD.

Program Web Site: http://www.clark.edu/academics/programs/electronics/Contact: Jim MalinowskiPhone: (360) 992-2974E-mail: [email protected]

Clark College Power Utilities program trains workers

By Mike KennedyExecutive Director, Pacific Mountain

Workforce Development CouncilLast midsummer the Pacific Mountain region–

–Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, and Thur-ston counties––was notified that we had received one of 13 federal grants for Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED). The award is for $5 million through the three-year period ending in June, 2010.

Getting the WIRED grant was a noteworthy ac-complishment because the application process was highly competitive. There were 71 applicants and our region was successful in submitting the compelling argument that we could transform our talent pool to compete in the global economy. Our argument further showed we could integrate the workforce, economic development, and education in response to that trans-formation. Finally, we demonstrated how our region could create a climate of innovation and entrepreneur-ial spirit to foster growth and expansion.

Imbedded in our proposal is the belief our public service systems must work with private industry to drive this workforce preparedness revolution. Capi-talizing on our partnerships with the energy sector through the Center of Excellence for Energy Tech-nology at Centralia College, the emerging South

Sound Manufacturer’s Alliance––sponsored by the Thurston County Economic Development Council––and with an industry panel focusing on construction, this grant intends to close the skills gap for our industry partners.

Our response to the critical shortage of skilled workers in these industries will set in motion a new way of doing business in the Pacific Moun-tain region. Growing our talent pool into high-demand, skilled workers in a diversity of essential and emerging industries will ensure our competi-tive edge and our region’s ability to expand and grow in a global economy. Business locates where talent resides!

WIRED grant funds ability to foster climate of innovation, entrepreneurship

As graduates complete the training program at the Center of Excellence at Centralia Col-lege, we are especially proud to see virtually every one get accepted into a variety of ap-prentice and other programs in the energy industry. As our educational format expands to include more specific Green Collar jobs we expect to continue at near 100 percent placement rate among Energy Tech grads.

We’ve truly come full circle; Gary Franklin, one of the first Associate Degree graduates in energy tech, joined TransAlta as a mechanic. Franklin was recently named by TransAlta to serve on the COE advisory board! Meanwhile, Brian Blair will reach journey status this spring at Grand Coulee, Ryan Aignar just passed his Boiler Operator Certification at Seattle Steam, and Adrienne Tennison is finishing her BPA Substation operator apprentice program second step at Tumwater.

COE graduates are in considerable demand and are being recruited into a variety of job skills in plants throughout the Northwest. As we include more alternative and renewable energy skills in the program, the Centralia College COE expects to play an ever-increasing role in energy workforce preparedness.

CENTRALIA COLLEGE

COE nears coveted 100% job placement rate


Energy Tech grads welcomed into workplaces; alternative, renewable energy sources place COE in an ever-growing,

evolving training role

for the growth of alterna-tive energy within our indus-try and with new producers that will generate alternative, environmentally friendly, re-newable energy. We also look forward to providing contrac-tors with quality workers for the construction of these new facilities. The “Green collar” workforce can earn the area standard wages as set by the state Department of Labor and Industries.

Working in the energy arena will provide many new jobs in mainstream power and renew-able energy. With the pending ageing and retirement of half the workforce––and new alter-native energy initiatives, many openings are coming. For those seeking a great career, the door is wide open in energy for a mo-tivated, educated workforce.

COE graduate Brian Blair at his “dream Job” at Grand Coulee Dam. Blair will reach journey status this spring.

Mike Kennedy

(Continued from page 6)

Green adds wage-standardenergy jobs

6(360 ) 736 -9391 , ex t . 280 • F rom O lymp ia , 753 -3433 • www.cen t ra l i a .edu /coe /

By Arlene Abbott,COE Advisory Board

Center of Excellence Director Barbara Hins-Turner and I made a quick tour of several East side energy part-ners’ facilities in late fall. As usual, production and activ-ity were at a high pitch.

At Wenatchee Valley College the Energy Technology program has 24 students in the one-year certificate pro-gram. Most are planning two-year degrees with the first spent on an Industrial Maintenance program. It appeals to a diversity of student interests and includes hydraulics, electronics, lathe work, and other mechanical specialties. The second year concentrates on specific disciplines, in-cluding energy technology.

One WVC Energy Tech graduate has been hired by Douglas County PUD. Chelan County PUD is also pro-viding industry input to the WVC coursework.

A trip to the Wild Horse wind farm near Ellensburg gave us a chance to see the rapid expansion in renewable energy infrastructure. Puget Sound Energy operates the farm with their Columbia County wind facility to produce enough en-ergy to supply 100,000 homes.

The COE submitted a DoL Community Based job train-ing grant proposal to collaborate with four community col-leges to develop renewable energy curriculum.

At Columbia Basin College in Pasco we met with Donna Campbell, dean of the Institute of Professional Development. Columbia Basin works with Energy Northwest to respond to training needs. Energy Northwest and Franklin PUD sponsor an alternative Energy Fair each spring that brings students to campus to learn about renewable energy alternatives. Last year more than 800 students attended.

At Grant County PUD we learned from assistant general manager Mi-chael Woywood that the public utility has assembled a team to develop a student outreach program similar to Gulf Power. The model program teaches students about working conditions, benefits, and challenges of util-ity industry work.

Grand Coulee Dam training programmer Dale Singer talked about his work with the COE. Grand Coulee recently hired a COE energy graduate into an innovative apprentice program. Singer described the hire as a “win-win” for Blair and for Grand Coulee.

Singer is collaborating with COE to bring more online training for the dam’s workforce. So far 40 Grand Coulee employees have used the Center of Excellence web site for safety, apprenticeship, and skill upgrading training.

As more utilities reach the newly-mandated 15 percent renewable energy production level, a broader range of professional training will be needed. We are pleased that the Centralia College COE is proactive in preparing for that training challenge.

When U.S. Senator Ma-ria Cantwell came to Cen-tralia College in late fall, the state’s renew-able energy and global warming ini-tiatives were just guide-lines. Dur-ing her fact-finding trip to the Center of

Excellence, Cantwell pledged her unwavering sup-port of the energy training program and commented on proposals to incorporate green collar, alternative energy education in the curriculum.

The state of Washington has bills working their way through the legislature now that would include required alternative energy usage, mandate reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and as many as 25,000

new renewable energy jobs in the next decade. After extensive briefings at Centralia College, Cantwell acknowledged the strength of the partnerships the COE had built to ensure top-quality training for the energy industry.

She suggested that alternative energy training would help prepare the region for greater power demands. “That’s what our competitive challenge is all about,” Cantwell said. “The training of en-ergy workers in both conventional and renewable resources is a key part of investing in America’s changing economy,” she added.

“What you’re doing is preparing for that big change in our economy,” Cantwell told college leaders and Center of Excellence staff. “ We can be leaders in the new energy economy instead of lagging behind as we’ve done in the past.

Cantwell noted the demand for energy training is huge, the demand for energy itself is huge, and the need for advanced “green energy” jobs will grow enormously in the immediate future.

“What you are doing here in Centralia is cutting edge,” Cantwell told the luncheon meeting. “It may end up being a model for the country.”

Eastside tour finds partners at high energy production pitch

Sen. Cantwell pledges supportfor energy training program

Barbara Hins-Turner and Dr. Jim Walton talk with a Congressional aide after a

visit to the Centralia College Center of Excellence by U.S.

Sen. Maria Cantwell.

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By Bob GuentherI’ve had the opportunity to be associated with the Center of Excel-

lence for Energy Technology at Centralia College since the begin-ning. My “regular” job, though, is working for the IBEW Local 77, where I am often assigned to lobby the Washington State Legislature on bills that help the energy industry in general and our union work-force in particular.

I have worked on several bills that help workers get respectable hours, wages, and working conditions while at the same time help business make a profit to maintain and grow our economy.

During the 2008 session we’ve been busy working to pass bills that address the procurement of renewable energy generation resources.

IBEW 77 and the Washington Public Utilities Association have been working to make sure the state’s PUDs are on the cutting edge for renewable energy generation. IBEW has about 3,000 workers employed by the public power districts in our state, and our members enjoy wage and benefit packages above the regional standards in all cases.

In testifying for these renewable energy bills I was proud to emphasize IBEW has more than 7,000 workers in the state. Washington has a history of generating diversity, and we believe the new thrust toward renewable energy will add to our mix and continue the strong economy we have.

We look forward to continued employment with conventional industry sectors and through our ap-prenticeship programs provide the skills needed

Green energy enhances labor’s strength The partnership of orga-

nized labor with Centralia College and others who sup-port the dream of a regional training center at Satsop has created new and welcome relationships in the energy technology industry. A per-fect example is the coopera-tion among power producers, union plant operators, and mechanics. Power producers hosted the meetings of skilled power workers that led to the development of much-needed skill standards that will be-gin a new era of training en-dorsed by both labor and the industry.

What is a Center of Excellence

CENTRALIA COLLEGE

CENTER OF EXCELLENCE

600 Centralia College Blvd

Centralia, WA 98531

(360) 736-9391, ext. 280

From Olympia, 753-3433

www.centralia.edu/coe/

Centers of Excellence are colleges designated by the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges as statewide leaders in spe-cialized workforce education and training for industries that help the state’s economy grow.

Centers of Excellence serve as a point-of-contact and resource hub for industry trends, best practices, innovative curriculum and professional development opportunities.

Centers of Excellence maximize resources by bringing together workforce education and industry partners in order to develop highly-skilled employees for targeted industries.

Centers of Excellence will:• Maintain an institutional reputation for innovation and responsive

education and training delivery to their targeted industry• Act as a broker of information and resources related to their targeted

industry for industry representatives, community-based organizations, economic development organizations, community and technical colleges, secondary education institutions, and four-year colleges and universities

• Translate industry research into best practices• Provide system coordination, coaching, and mentoring to assist in

building seamless education and work-related systems• Build a competitive workforce for driver industries in Washington State

For information on Centers of Excellence, please visit the SBCTC Web site: www.sbctc.ctc.edu/College/_e-wkforcecentersofexcellence.aspx

CENTRALIA COLLEGE COMPLIES WITH EEOC GUIDELINES

Bob Guenther

(Please see Green adds on page 4)

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