SUNY Conference Strategic Partnerships in Higher Education:

Sustaining Innovation

Strategic Partnerships in Energy Workforce Training

Maria Arianas

Director, Center for Workforce

Development

Utility Training Natural GasTechnician Program

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ErinCunia

Lead Program Manager,

US New Talent Development

Marjaneh Issapour

Professor,Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology

Director,Renewable Energy and Sustainability Center

Conference Presenters

Determining Local Workforce Needs• Long Island Region Economic Snapshot

• Utilities/Energy Sector➢ State of the industry➢ Projections for workforce

• Skills Gap

Collaborative Program Development

• Corporate, Industry, Social Service Partners

• Populations Targeted

• Identification of Program Requirements

Continuum of Partnership EngagementWe fulfill almost every category under “Collaborative Activities”

NCC: A Partner in the Community

• Fulfilling the Mission of a Community College

• NCC Strategic Plan Pillar # 3: Community Outreach

Furthering Regional Economic Development

• Training & upskilling workforce➢ Ingredients of success➢ Bumps along the way

• Future opportunities➢ Sector trends ➢ New and emerging

technologies

URGENT Program Video

Mission Statement

“The mission of the Renewable Energy and Sustainability Center (RESC) is to enhance public awareness of emerging renewable energy resources through a focus on applied research and workforce training in the renewable/sustainable and smart grid technologies. The center is housed in the School of Engineering Technology (SET) and offers complementary training programs in other technology and manufacturing areas to serve the workforce needs of the Long Island.”

https://www.farmingdale.edu/academics/centers-institutes/resc/index.shtml

https://www.farmingdale.edu/academics/centers-institutes/resc/index.shtml

Training Programs

• Alternative Fuel Vehicle

• Energy Industry Fundamentals

• Geothermal Training

• National Grid: Natural Gas Technician

• Small Scale Wind

• Solar PV

• Solar Thermal

Natural Gas Technician Boot Camp- Background

•Study of Regional Economic Development and LIA

•Significance of Outreach to regional Industry -IESC2015

•National Grid’s training model on the Electric side

Natural Gas Technician Boot Camp- Collaboration

Collaborative Program Development •Process of development of the initial

Natural Gas Technician training program • Faculty from RESC and MET were

involved in the development of the program

Graduation celebration for the first Cohort of the Gas academy – Spring 2017, Melville NG

Natural Gas Technician Boot Camp- Collaboration

• Identifying the challenges; What worked well and what did not.• Public Demand (FSC)

• Integration into Curriculum area(FSC)

• Diversity(NG)

• Scheduling(NG &FSC)

• Scalability ( FSC & NG)-Burden of hiring

• Steps in building a successful collaboration that benefits all partners • Meeting with instructors and program mangers of National

Grid

• Faculty involvement from FSC ( 2 faculty from School of Engineering Technology)

Second version of the program –current process and component

• Part I- CEWD (center for Energy Workforce Development) – (Energy Industry Fundamentals)EIF• Public Demand (FSC)• Integration into Curriculum area(FSC)• Scheduling(FSC)• Scalability ( FSC & NG)

• Part II- refined Program• Diversity(NG)• Scheduling(NG)• Scalability ( FSC & NG)

Benefits of partnership

• College becoming a member of NEEN(National Energy Education Network) and CEWD(Center for Energy Workforce Development)• Access to open source curriculum( Faculty)

• Access to competencies and skills demands of industry Professional Development opportunity(Faculty and Graduates)

• Access to more collaborative and funding opportunities(Faculty)

• Online database for professional profile and access to job opportunities ( Students)

Sustainability Plans

• Infusion of the program components into the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Technology Programs. This is both in theoretical and applied learning components of the program.

• Using the current financial models by our institution, we have determined a $1400 fee and minimum of 12 students to continue offering of the program. Currently I have a waiting list of 60 without ant advertisement. This do to the alignment of the program to specific competencies needed by Industry.

Natural Gas Technician Training program • https://www.farmingdale.edu/academics/centers-

institutes/resc/naturalgas/index.shtml

• https://www.farmingdale.edu/academics/centers-institutes/resc/naturalgas/pdf/ng_part_2.pdf

https://www.farmingdale.edu/academics/centers-institutes/resc/naturalgas/index.shtmlhttps://www.farmingdale.edu/academics/centers-institutes/resc/naturalgas/pdf/ng_part_2.pdf

Future plans• Strategic planning for future workforce.

leveraging the new model to accommodate other renewable and energy workforce training.

• IBEW

• Other Utility Partners. Current conversations with PSEG-LI

• Empower Solar

• Partnership with other SUNY’s to accommodate the new model

• Micro-credential goal

National Grid and College Partnerships

National Grid

Get Into Energy

• Objectives• Increase diversity of candidate pool

• Youth

• Women

• Engineers

• Military

• Transitioning Workers

• Increase work readiness

• Raise awareness of career opportunities

National Grid

Energy Industry Competency Model

National Grid

National Energy Education Network (NEEN)

National Grid

Energy Industry Fundamentals(EIF)