Career Colleges Prepare Workers for the New Energy Economy

Coalition Urges Broad Collaboration Between All Sectors in Higher Education on Addressing “Skills Gap”

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, President Barack Obama visits Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, CO to discuss the role of government in creating and keeping jobs in high-tech industries in the United States. A critical component of invigorating the economy is to train a skilled “job ready” workforce for new energy industries. As employers increasingly have job openings in new energy, the American workforce must have the skills to fill them. America’s career colleges stand ready to assist students in preparing themselves for today’s demand careers.

“We are proud of the work that career colleges do with students to get them trained and ‘job ready.’”

“Career colleges across America are taking the lead in providing trained workers for the new energy economy by offering programs that are designed by industry experts in green energy and sustainability,” said Penny Lee, Managing Director of the Coalition for Educational Success. “Today the President is visiting Buckley Air Force Base, at the nearby Ecotech Institute he could witness one example of a career college providing students with the kind of high-quality training they need to get jobs working with sustainable electrical, solar power and wind turbine technologies.”

Ecotech Institute is the first college entirely focused on preparing America's workforce for careers in renewable energy and sustainable design. The college offers degrees and certificates in programs such as solar energy technology, wind energy technology, energy efficiency and electrical engineering. Career colleges provide job training to thousands of students in Colorado. Programs, such as those offered at Ecotech, are where Denver’s clean energy economy comes alive, one classroom at a time.

“Across the nation, career colleges are developing schools like Ecotech Institute to give students the practical, hands-on skills necessary to provide employers with job ready employees who can make an immediate impact,” added Lee. “We are proud of the work that career colleges do with students to get them trained and ‘job ready.’”

During his State of the Union address, the President said, “I also hear from many business leaders who want to hire in the United States but can’t find workers with the right skills. Growing industries in science and technology have twice as many openings as we have workers who can do the job.” America’s career colleges help millions of Americans bridge the “skills gap” and become “job ready” by educating and placing them in high-skilled jobs in the fastest-growing fields, such as the new energy economy.

With a higher graduation rate than community colleges (58% versus 20%) and more students enrolled in high-growth fields (44%), compared to public institutions (18%) and private, not-for-profit institutions (13%), career colleges are best positioned to help America’s economic recovery. Career colleges also produce graduates at a cost to taxpayers that is $25,000 lower per student than community colleges.

In October 2011, Ecotech Institute and the Coalition for Educational Success hosted a summit on the new energy economy and workforce training. Featured speakers included U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock and former Aurora Mayor Ed Tauer.

Coalition for Educational Success

The Coalition for Educational Success includes many of the nation's leading career colleges. Career colleges provide training for students in 17 of the 20 fastest growing fields. The Coalition advocates for policies that support wider access to higher education, particularly for non-traditional students including full-time workers, workforce returners, working parents, minorities and veterans.