Enhancing an Energy Technology Associate Degree Program to Meet Employer Needs

地方、区域和国家能源供应商迫切需要高素质的变电站和继电器技术人员来支持国家电网的敏感部件。在杜克能源和其他能源供应商的支持下，佛罗里达州萨姆特湖州立学院（LSSC）的这个项目旨在通过加强变电站和保护继电器技术（ESPRT）的工程技术专业化来满足这一劳动力需求。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，最终将获得带薪暑期实习和高技能，高薪就业。该项目将侧重于广泛传播技术和一般工业信息，这将导致在全国范围内推进这种和其他类似的教育和培训方案。实施改善学院服务区整体科学、技术、工程、数学（STEM）文化的战略。它还将努力在教师和学生群体以及整个能源行业中实现急需的种族和性别多样性。ESPRT项目负责人将重点发展与佛罗里达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的持续合作，以改进项目。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，这些将导致数据驱动的决策和项目调整。ESPRT项目将为学生和教育工作者引入学术和技术上严格的下一步，使双方都能获得对能源技术人员成功至关重要的知识和技能。该项目的主要目标是：(1)升级课程内容和材料，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、中等教育机构和高等教育实体之间的伙伴关系，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项目队列群体提供中学生管道。(4)在每个入学期间，招募和招收不少于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)通过安排ESPRT项目的学生在能源合作伙伴和其他能源公司实习，关注学生留存率、学生完成度、学生安置和劳动力需求。

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.