Enhancing an Energy Technology Associate Degree Program to Meet Employer Needs

地方、区域和国家能源供应商对高素质的变电站和继电器技术人员有着关键和长期的需求，以支持国家电网的敏感组件。这个项目在萨姆特湖州立学院（LSSC）在佛罗里达的目的是满足这一劳动力的需求，从杜克能源和其他能源供应商的支持下，通过提高变电站和继电保护技术（ESPRT）的工程技术专业化。通过战略招聘项目，学生将被招募参加动手技术教育和培训计划，最终将在带薪暑期实习和高技能，高工资就业。该项目将侧重于广泛传播技术和一般行业信息，从而推动全国范围内的这一教育和培训方案以及其他类似的教育和培训方案。它将实施战略，以提高学院服务区的整体科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）文化。它还将努力在教师和学生团体以及整个能源行业内实现急需的种族和性别多样性。ESPRT计划负责人将专注于与佛罗里达ATE中心（FLATE，DUE 1204751）、先进技术环境和能源中心（ATEEC，DUE 1204958）以及现有能源行业合作伙伴开展持续合作，以改进计划。该学院将参与正在进行的外部和内部研究，包括焦点小组，调查，咨询委员会反馈和正式评估，这将导致数据驱动的决策和计划调整。ESPRT计划将为学生和教育工作者引入学术和技术上严格的下一步，这两个群体都将获得有助于能源技术人员成功的知识和技能。该项目的主要目标是：（1）更新课程内容和材料，以反映行业合作伙伴确定的当前行业实践，并为学生提供必要的知识和技能，以满足当今和未来行业对高技能，先进技术能源劳动力的就业需求。(2)加强行业合作伙伴、中学教育机构和中学后教育实体之间的合作伙伴关系，以确保所有利益相关者共同努力满足现有的大量劳动力需求。(3)告知目标人群有关能源系统保护和控制的职业，从而为未来的ESPRT计划队列组提供中学生管道。(4)每个招生期招收不少于20名学生（特别强调来自代表性不足的种族和/或性别群体的学生）进入ESPRT计划。(5)专注于学生保留，学生完成，学生安置和劳动力需求，将ESPRT计划学生与能源合作伙伴和其他能源公司实习。

Local, regional and national energy providers have a critical and long-term need for highly qualified substation and relay technicians to support the sensitive components of the national grid. This project at Lake Sumter State College (LSSC) in Florida is designed to meet this labor force need, with support from Duke Energy and other energy providers, by enhancing an engineering technology specialization in Electrical Substation and Protective Relay Technology (ESPRT). Through a strategic recruitment project, students will be recruited to join a hands-on technician education and training program that will culminate in a paid-summer internship and high skill, high wage employment. The project will focus on widespread dissemination of technical and general industry information that will result in the advancement of this and other similar education and training programs across the country. It will implement strategies to improve the overall science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) culture in the service district of the college. It will also strive to attain much needed racial and gender diversity within faculty and student groups and the energy industry at large. The ESPRT Program leaders will focus on developing an on-going collaboration for program improvement with the Florida ATE Center (FLATE, DUE 1204751), the Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center (ATEEC, DUE 1204958), and existing energy industry partners. The college will engage in on-going external and internal research including focus groups, surveys, and advisory board feedback and formal assessments that will result in data-driven decision making and program adjustments. The ESPRT Program will introduce an academically and technically rigorous next step for students and educators, with both populations attaining knowledge and skills that are instrumental to the success of energy technicians. The primary objectives of the project are to:(1) Upgrade program course content and materials to reflect current industry practices as identified by industry partners and provide students with knowledge and skills necessary to meet the employment needs of industry for a highly skilled, advanced technology energy workforce for today and the future.(2) Strengthen partnerships between industry partners, secondary educational institutions, and post-secondary educational entities to ensure that all stakeholders are working collaboratively to meet this existing, substantial workforce need. (3) Inform targeted populations about careers in energy systems protection and control, resulting in a pipeline of secondary school students for future ESPRT Program cohort groups.(4) Recruit and enroll no less than 20 students (with a particular emphasis on students from underrepresented racial and/or gender groups) into the ESPRT Program for each enrollment period. (5) Focus on student retention, student completion, student placement, and workforce needs by placing ESPRT Program students in internships with energy partners and other energy companies.