January 5, 2011
Picente: Inner-City Residents Have Opportunity To Attend Free Renewable Energy Training Class
Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr., today announced that Johnson Park Center will host a no-cost introductory training seminar on renewable energy beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, January 10th at JPC, located on Johnson Park in Utica’s Cornhill neighborhood.
“The entire field of renewable energy is one where there are some great opportunities,” Picente said. “From green jobs in construction, the energy efficiency sector and the energy production sector, including solar and wind energy, there is tremendous potential. Because this sector is so new and so wide open, it’s not always easy to know where to start, and where your own educational and work background best fits with the emerging opportunities that are out there.”
The session is free, but pre-registration is required. To register, contact Tanya Davis at the Workforce Investment Board at (315) 798-6462, or via e-mail at tdavis@working-solutions.org.
Workforce Investment Board Executive Director Alice J. Savino said this seminar is essential for anyone thinking about a renewable energy career because it will provide a first step to determine how existing skills match with this new sector, and what kinds of training is needed to find good-paying jobs.
“This introductory seminar is a tremendous asset, because many people don’t have a lot of familiarity with renewable energy and don’t know how well the skills they have fit with the skills that are needed in Renewable Energy careers. That’s why we are working with Morrisville State College to get this seminar offered in Working Solutions Centers and in community-based agencies across the region.”
The “Introduction to Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency” seminar is divided into three main sections:
- an explanation for each of the renewable energy categories describing the benefits as well as obstacles that need to be overcome to achieve wider implementation whether for residential or commercial applications
- an overall approach to energy conservation on a personal level, with a list of actionable ideas with descriptions, hands–on exercises, and tools to use to assess the cost effectiveness of the opportunities
- a description of basic and specific skills needed for jobs in each renewable energy area, followed by a description of programs available to provide training from a series of one day short seminar through a complete 2 or 4 year degree program
The seminar is going on the road across Herkimer, Madison and Oneida Counties as part of a partnership between the Workforce Investment Board and The Renewable Energy Training Center at Morrisville State College. The seminar is free to all area residents who are either U.S. Citizens or have work authorization and can provide required documentation.
The WIB and the RETC have collaborated to offer this seminar at multiple locations across the region. These include:
|
Date
|
Time
|
Location
|
|
1/14/11
|
1:00-4:00 pm
|
One-Stop Herkimer
|
|
1/25/11
|
6:30-10:00 pm
|
Johnson Park Center, Utica
|
|
2/9/11
|
6:00-9:00 pm
|
Mohawk Valley Community College, Rome Campus
|
|
2/28/11
|
6:00-9:00 pm
|
BOCES Verona
|
|
3/14/11
|
6:00-9:00 pm
|
BOCES New Harford
|
Any local community groups who may want to host this seminar should contact Betsy Busche, Program Support Specialist, Renewable Energy Training Center, Morrisville State College, http://retc.morrisville.edu/, buscheba@morrisville.edu / (315)-684-6391.
“Renewable Energy is an exciting growth sector for our region,” Picente said. “This seminar is a great first step for people who want to move their lives in a new direction and find out how they can be part of this high-growth, diverse field.”
The RETC is funded by a grant awarded under the President's Community-Based Job Training Grants, as implemented by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration. The RETC is an EEO/AA institution.
Oneida County Partners
