Demand is growing for skilled workers to fill clean energy jobs such as installing solar panels, insulating buildings, replacing inefficient equipment, analyzing energy usage and more.

Now, an Arizona community college serving rural communities is launching programs to train and develop this new workforce with help from federal funding.

Arizona Western College in Yuma is leading the way among community colleges nationwide by securing a $2 million U.S. Department of Energy grant through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. 

Preparing students to succeed

In partnership with Arizona State University and the Institute of American Apprenticeship, the college will develop a curriculum and establish partnerships with local businesses to create green career pathways for workers in Yuma and La Paz counties.

Reetika Dhawan, CEO of Arizona Western College’s Entrepreneurial College and vice president of its workforce and healthcare programs, said the new certificate programs will have a wide reach.

“We’re preparing students to succeed wherever they go. It’s a ripple effect,” she said. “No other community colleges have these certificates. Companies and smaller employers will see the value. The beauty of this grant is the on-the-job training, and that will be supportive for students and employers.”

Green jobs growing twice as fast as other careers

The number of green jobs is growing almost twice as fast as the skilled workers available, according to the World Economic Forum. To meet global demand, schools and employers need to focus on training younger workers for the expanding sector, as well as older workers seeking to enter a new field. 

Students at Arizona Western College can earn certificates in sectors such as energy management and optimization, clean energy technology and industrial machinery. Each certificate program will equate to about 10 to 12 college credits, Dhawan said.

“It is very unique because if you look at community colleges, they’ve never done industrial centers. This is an opportunity for a community college to make an impact,” Dhawan said. “Most of the time, industrial centers are run by universities. And sometimes they don’t know what rural communities need… This connects (our) local community” to the wider green economy.

Free energy optimization for southern Arizona businesses

In addition, companies that participate with Arizona Western College can receive free energy optimization services from students.

The grant will pay for Arizona Public Service to conduct energy audits at no cost to discover opportunities for businesses to lower energy usage, generate renewable power and save money. Students from the certificate programs will be hired as paid interns to help complete those assessments.

Even high schoolers will be able to benefit by earning dual credits if they attend green jobs classes at the college, Dhawan said. 

Courses will begin in fall 2024, aiming for at least 100 students to graduate and find jobs. 

“We’re starting something new,” Dhawan said. “And, we’re hoping to collaborate with existing companies to upskill them and their employees as well.”

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, commonly called the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden in 2021. The law will invest billions of dollars in federal funding into rural infrastructure, disaster assistance, high-speed internet, and more.