In the coming years, the main concern for solar employment won’t be a lack of jobs. It’s a lack of skilled employees. This fact has led many colleges, universities and organizations to offer solar energy education programs to a growing – and very much needed – number of green-minded students.

They’re fired up about solar power hitting the classroom, you should be too!  Photo Credit: TigerDirect.com

The University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV) represents the latest in that trend toward solar education programs. UNLV’s new minor in solar and renewable energy will begin this fall, is open to any student, and will focus on engineering and science or policy.

This new minor illustrates the solar industry’s need for highly trained individuals, and there’s no better evidence for that than the source of UNLV’s new program: NV Energy. The Nevada-based utility company proffered $500,000 to get the program underway. It was funding gladly accepted by a university set in the heart of the U.S. solar movement. The funds will go to scholarships, research, equipment and internships, among other necessities for running the program.

NV Energy foresees the growing need for experts in solar and renewable energy and its efforts are already being rewarded. The company also helped set up a similar program at the University of Nevada-Reno (UNR) a few years ago to much success. 20 students have already signed up for UNLV solar minor.

These are just a few of the growing number of solar education programs cropping up from coast to coast. You can find a comprehensive list of energy-related higher education courses from the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Via Photovoltaics World.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Posted on September 6th in Solar News by Dan.