Nebraska-based Central Community College’s three-in-one energy training program among Enbridge grant recipients in Great Plains states
Feedback from a state-wide industry survey in 2018 told Central Community College that change was coming to renewable energy in Nebraska.
The state needed to catch up to neighbors like Iowa, Kansas, and Oklahoma, and survey respondents indicated it was time to begin training students for careers as renewable energy technicians.
CCC responded quickly to the demand and, a year later, launched the Energy Technology Program on its Hastings campus.
“It was driven by the need right here in Nebraska,” says Nate Allen, CCC’s Dean of Instruction in the career and technical sciences division.
The Energy Technology Program is the only post-secondary program in the United States that combines instruction on three types of renewable energy—wind, solar and battery storage, the last of which is one of the world’s newest clean energy solutions.
In the two-year program, students deeply dive into all three energy types, learn fundamentals, and earn certifications in advanced energy, wind power, and solar power. Students wishing to specialize can choose to complete certification in one energy stream or gain a full associate degree in Energy Technology.
Invaluable hands-on experience is built into the program, such as gaining a valuable skill of troubleshooting using schematics.
“Industry really needs technicians who know how to diagnose issues, and schematics is a way to do that,” says Taylor Schneider, the program’s lead instructor, who brings years of practical experience from the wind and solar industries into the classroom.
The program is designed to meet industry needs, to “set students up for success and become higher-level technicians quickly,” he adds.
Launching a new academic program requires significant up-front costs. Enbridge has awarded the CCC Foundation two Fueling Futures grants to support the education of students in the Energy Technology Program—one valued at $5,000 in 2023 and a second for $5,000 in 2024.
Enbridge is committed to empowering the next generation of workers in the trades, with both Fueling Futures grants and Enbridge Energy Company Pipeline Industry Awareness scholarships.
Other recent examples from Great Plains states include:
At CCC, the funds have helped enhance the educational experience and advance the potential of young learners. The college has been able to recruit students from around the country to grow the program and purchase technical supplies to help with classroom instruction.
Part of the Fueling Futures grant was used to purchase components needed to repair a solar panel array on the CCC Hastings campus. The array had been built years before the program but has yet to work, Schneider explains.
Now that the college has purchased the missing components and gained a substantial donation of panels, “we’re going to take these panels and put them out into the working field,” he explains that once the array is working, the program will benefit by having application-based learning opportunities.
This is the hands-on experience industry is looking for, he adds.
Graduates of the program frequently return to CCC to tell current students about their work experiences in the industry. Their stories demonstrate “what happens when you stay focused in school,” Schneider says.
He also notes that one graduate earned Wind Tech I, the highest wind technology level achievable within three years.
“This is what can happen because of this program. You get a job, and you’re successful quicker.”
