Employee News
Wake Tech to Lead “Green Revolution” In Workforce Training
RALEIGH, N.C. (August 23, 2010) - Wake Technical Community College has been selected to lead a statewide overhaul of community college programs to improve education and training in emerging green technologies and sustainability. Wake Tech Dean Robert "Butch" Grove will manage the Code Green Super CIP (Curriculum Improvement Project). The project's goal is to provide more relevant training for those entering the workforce by integrating sustainability concepts and skills into all parts of the curriculum. There are five areas of focus: building, energy, transportation, environment, and engineering technology. Each project team will work to revise existing programs and add new training components.
"Environmental responsibility is spreading from the cars we drive and the homes we build to every aspect of our lives," says Grove, WTCC Dean of Sustainability. "As educators, we know that means we must equip students and workers to manage the new technologies and practices that are defining our lives. Community colleges are leading the way. "The first meeting of the Code Green Super CIP takes place August 26-27 at Wake Tech's Main Campus in Raleigh.
Like other states, North Carolina's economy has shifted to include more sustainable products, practices, and technologies than ever before. Job and career opportunities abound in areas such as mass transit, wind, and solar power exploration, and construction retrofitting for greater energy efficiency, but training must be top quality and up to date. The Code Green Super CIP will explore the best ways to provide that training as well as the highly-specialized credentials the workplace will demand.
The State Board of Community Colleges approved funding for the Super CIP in May and designated Wake Tech as the lead college for the project. Each sector also has a lead college: Wilson C.C. (Building CIP), Central Carolina C.C. (Energy CIP), Blue Ridge C.C. (Transportation CIP), Davidson County C.C. (Environment CIP), and Central Piedmont C.C. (Engineering CIP). Wake Tech automotive instructor Rich Cregar will serve as co-director for transportation. All North Carolina community colleges are eligible to participate.
