NJ college to offer tuition-free energy-job training to unemployed

Submitted by BCC
2012-09-04 11:52:32

Through a grant from the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development, State Energy Sector Partnership (SESP), Burlington County College’s (BCC) Corporate College is offering qualified unemployed residents a tuition-free Green Energy Technology Training program.

Qualified participants will be able to earn an industry-recognized Building Performance Institute, Inc. (BPI) Residential Certification. According to their website, Building Performance Institute, Inc. is the nation's premier standards development and credentialing organization for residential energy efficiency retrofit work. They support programs through professional certification, contractor accreditation, and quality assurance services.

The comprehensive Green Energy Technology Training program is 144 hours and includes hands-on training, instructional materials, certification testing, and job placement assistance. Participants can train to become BPI Certified weatherization technicians, commissioned energy auditors and more.

“With the help of the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development Grant, the College is pleased to be able to offer this specialized training to better meet the demands of the workforce,” said Cathlene Leary-Elderkin, BCC Grants Administrator.

The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s 2009 study, “New Jersey Going Green” identified a demand-supply analysis of current and projected green jobs and green skills. That report projected a growth of approximately 20,000 green jobs by 2020. According to the study, there are 20,764 companies in New Jersey that are either already performing green functions or may “turn green” whether through the implementation of clean/green technologies or through producing green technologies. Energy efficiency jobs, which include building installation, residential construction, commercial and industrial construction, and building and equipment manufacturing, account for more than half of the employment in New Jersey’s green industries.

Green Energy Technology Training courses begin on Monday, Aug. 20 and run through Oct. 30. Courses included in the program cover four topics: Building Analyst, Envelope Professional, Heating Professional, and A/C & Heat Pump Professional.

The “Building Analyst” course covers the “house-as-a-system” approach to inspecting a home. This approach considers all systems to be interconnected from the HVAC equipment, to the envelope, the foundation, walls, roof, doors and windows. The “Envelope Professional” course will develop your knowledge and expertise within specialized fields of the residential energy efficiency audit workforce. At the “Heating Professional” course you will learn about heating system science, load and system sizing, ventilation system design and installation, and system diagnostics. The “A/C & Heat Pump Professional” course provides an overview of health and safety, installation, commissioning, service and repair, and diagnostic tests associated with a variety of A/C and heat pump configurations.

In addition to the training for the unemployed, the grant has enabled the College to offer Six Sigma Lean Yellow Belt training to incumbent workers. The course trains project leaders to lead key change initiatives in their organizations through the Lean and Six Sigma approaches.

BCC’s Corporate College will be hosting two open houses to discuss the extensive training opportunities available to qualified unemployed and underemployed residents through the grant. The first open house will be on Wednesday, Aug. 8 from 1 to 3 p.m. at BCC's Mount Laurel campus in Laurel Hall, room 320. A second open house will be held on Saturday, Aug. 18 from 9 to 11 a.m. in the lobby of BCC’s Mount Holly Center, 1 High St.

For more information or to register for the free open house, visit:
<a href="http://www.bcc.edu/bpitraining">http://www.bcc.edu/bpitraining</a>

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