Gateway Community and Technical College in Northern Kentucky showed off the region's green goods with its first-ever Green Energy Showcase.
The event was held Oct. 1 in Florence at
Gateway's Boone Campus. The Green Energy Showcase included exhibits by local and regional energy providers and industry including Bowlin Group LLC, Duke Energy, Touchstone Energy Cooperatives (East Kentucky Power and Owen Electric) and General Cable.
The free event was funded, in part, by a $393,000 three-year grant that the college received from the U.S. Department of Labor. High school and college students, energy industry workers and college faculty were among the groups the showcase was geared toward.
Gateway is working to build its renewable energy training programs to prepare workers for the next generation of energy jobs. At the showcase, the college highlighted its current renewable energy training programs and courses, as well as plans for new certificates, said Dr. Yvonne Meichtry, Energy Careers Program coordinator at Gateway.
Meichtry added that the college has worked with a group of the region's energy industry to identify the training programs most needed for renewable energy efforts in the area,. By January the college plans to offer solar/photovoltaic systems, wind energy technologies, and a residential energy efficiency certificate and audit course that prepares students for Building Performance Institute (BPI) certification as a Building Analyst.
"The purpose of this is to increase the visibility and the knowledge of the general public and industry and education sectors about what energy providers and industries are doing related to renewable energy and efficiency," said Meichtry.
In addition to the exhibits, Gateway hosted a keynote speaker, Kate Shanks, Assistant Director of the Renewable Energy Division in the
Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet. Shanks talked about the potential and current trends for renewable energy resources in Kentucky.
Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Dr. Yvonne Meichtry, Energy Careers Program coordinator at Gateway Community and Technical College
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