Summary

Ninety individuals representing a cross section of the energy industry, community colleges, universities, government agencies, and non-profit organizations participated in the National Energy Technician Education Summit from December 8 to 10 in Washington, DC. Collaborative discussion during the summit focused on current and projected industry needs, financial opportunities and constraints, and the educational programs that help to provide a trained workforce. Using facilitated large- and small-group discussions, summit participants developed recommendations to help shape the future direction of energy technician education in the United States. A summary of several recommendations identified through a consensus process appears on the following pages. A full report of the summit and the several dozen recommendations that surfaced during the three-day meeting will be published in spring 2011.

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and the Advanced Technology Environmental Education Center (ATEEC) convened the summit with support from the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program of the National Science Foundation (NSF) (www.nsf.gov). AACC, the primary advocacy organization for community colleges at the national level, represents almost 1,200 two-year, associate degree-granting institutions. ATEEC, an ATE Center of Excellence, is located at Scott Community College in Bettendorf, Iowa. The college is part of the Eastern Iowa Community College District. The summit followed up on seven regional conversations ATEEC held in 2009 and 2010. Regional Energy Conversations, the report from these NSF-supported meetings, identifies the fastest growing energy jobs in seven regions across the country in addition to crosscutting technical and employability knowledge and skills.

AACC and ATEEC thank NSF for its support. They are also grateful to the summit participants for their intellectual contributions to the summit and their ongoing efforts to prepare the energy technician workforce with the skills that the nation needs. Energy technicians apply the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the scientific, technical, communication, and regulatory tasks needed to optimize the sustainable production, delivery, and use of energy resources. Read more…

Also read coverage of the summit in the Community College Times:

“National summit examines energy technician education“

By Madeline Patton; published December 15, 2010