Developing a 21st Century Training Program in the Florida Keys for Renewable Alternative Energy Technology: Wind, Solar and Tidal Power

对可持续、清洁、可再生替代能源的需求是有充分理由的，同时也需要建立可再生替代能源生产技术（如风能和太阳能），并增加对潮汐能等新技术的探索。随着对“太阳能和风能”工作岗位的需求日益增加，还需要进行必要的培训，以创造维持快速扩张和向这些新能源生产技术过渡所需的劳动力。佛罗里达群岛社区学院（FKCC）地理位置优越，位于美国阳光最充足，风力最大，潮汐能丰富的城市之一。FKCC的这个项目将导致工程技术理学副学士学位的发展，该学位将专注于培训替代能源技术人员，并开展研究，以促进当地、区域、国家和国际的风能、太阳能和潮汐能技术。随着FKCC培训21世纪绿色能源劳动力，开展研究以利用周围的可再生能源，并开发致力于促进可再生能源产业的全球网络，工程技术替代能源技术人员（ET-AET）计划将处于中心位置。拟议的为期两年的培训和研究项目将加入一个由其他区域工程技术项目组成的网络，在利用独特的研究机会作为风能、太阳能和潮汐能培训工具的同时，最大限度地提高可转移性。学院拥有非凡的基础设施，使其非常适合可再生能源培训，包括一个17,000平方米的泻湖，将用作潮汐能模拟实验室（TESLA）。特斯拉设施将允许FKCC通过在受控的自然海洋环境中测试原型潮汐能装置，参与开创性的潮汐能研究。该计划将包括多个行业认证，并以一个顶点行业实习为重点，该实习将提供宝贵的“现实世界”技能，结合带薪专业经验和就业机会。该项目的合作伙伴包括许多国内和国际可再生替代能源专家，并承诺为发展全球网络提供最先进的技术和机会，同时促进从化石燃料向绿色能源的过渡。

The need for sustainable, clean, renewable alternative energy is well grounded, as well as the need to establish renewable alternative energy production technologies (e.g. wind and solar power) and increase exploration of new technologies like tidal power. With increasing demands for "solar and wind" jobs, the training needed to create the workforce necessary to sustain the rapid expansion and transition to these new energy production technologies is also needed. Florida Keys Community College (FKCC) is ideally located in one of the sunniest, windiest and tidal energy rich cities in the US. This project at FKCC will lead to the development of an Associate in Science degree for Engineering Technology that will focus on training Alternative Energy Technicians and conducting research to foster wind, solar and tidal energy technologies locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. As FKCC trains the 21st Century workforce for green energy, conducts research to harness the surrounding renewable energy resources and develops a global network devoted to fostering the renewable energy industry, the Engineering Technology Alternative Energy Technicians (ET-AET) program will be at the epicenter. The proposed two year training and research program will join a network of other regional engineering technology programs that will maximize transferability while using unique research opportunities as a training tool for wind, solar and tidal energy. The College has extraordinary infrastructure that makes it perfectly suited for renewable energy training, including a 17,000 square meter lagoon that will be used as a tidal energy simulation laboratory (TESLA). The TESLA facility will allow FKCC to participate in ground breaking tidal energy research by testing prototype tidal energy devices in a controlled yet natural marine environment. The program will include multiple industry certifications and be highlighted by a capstone industry internship that will provide valuable "real world" skills combined with paid professional experience and job placement opportunities. The program partners include a host of national and international renewable alternative energy experts and promises to provide state-of-the-art technology and opportunities for developing global networks, all while fostering the transition from fossil fuels to green energy.