Ground broken for clean energy instruction and job-producing projects at Penn College

Beneath the shade of trees, on the warmest day of the year to date, a crowd gathered recently for a formal Pennsylvania College of Technology groundbreaking ceremony for two main campus projects being funded, in part, by a $2 million U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration grant.

That natural setting, which is on the site of future construction of an 1,800-square-foot Clean Energy House, 214 Park St., was where the officials dug shovels into piles of dirt, wearing hard hats, and discussed the growing need to equip the ever-evolving clean energy workforce with knowledge, skills and abilities to create healthy buildings, occupants and communities through energy efficiency.

The other main project is extensive renovations at the Carl Building Technologies Center on the main campus.

Jobs created

“It is estimated that the grant will result in the creation or retention of more than 435 jobs throughout the region,” Penn College President Michael J. Reed said.

The grant specifically focuses on attracting and upskilling the existing and future workforce to meet the increasing demand for clean energy, architecture, construction and concrete science professionals.

Once built, the Clean Energy House will be used for training home-energy professionals with in-demand skills and certifications.

Meanwhile, the college’s Clean Energy Center will incorporate the Clean Energy House into its programs to connect the skilled trades learning facilities with clean energy workforce programs.

This, in turn, is expected to expand and improve the quality of training and certification testing for new and incumbent clean energy workers, and to respond to the industry changes affecting the professions.

The Clean Energy Center is dedicated to providing support resources to Penn College students, partners, and the general public.

The programs and certification testing will be offered at no cost to students and are intended to produce a pipeline of skilled workers for the construction and energy sectors.

Renovations to the technologies center are expected to enhance instructional labs and improve learning experiences for more than 1,000 students.

“Industry needs more of our graduates, and this grant will allow us to showcase avenues opened by applied technology degrees,” Reed said.

The center’s core mission is to teach people how to reduce energy consumption in their communities and to improve the comfort and safety of buildings, said Alison A. Diehl, center executive director.

There will be programs teaching individuals how to perform home energy assessments and installation techniques to reduce energy bills, she explained.

At the same time, these will help to remediate health and safety concerns such as mold, lead paint and carbon monoxide, Diehl added.

These trained individuals will be educated and ready to be on the front line of reducing the energy burden, helping communities to improve their housing stock for many low-income Pennsylvanians in rural and urban areas.

The extensive renovations of the lab areas include updates resulting in increased productivity and safety for students and faculty, said Ellyn A. Lester, assistant dean of construction and architectural technologies.

Among the improvements are new lighting, flooring and paint, and energy-saving insulated windows and ways to reduce noise.

Additionally, faculty will have the freedom to overhaul lab layouts to include new technology and refine student stations, she said.

The hope is to see these improvements become a means of attracting additional enrollment in the building construction programs, she added.

The college is matching the $2 million EDA grant for a $4 million total budget to be allocated over the next 60 months.

The Clean Energy Center at Penn College is considered to be one of the nation’s leading providers of clean energy workforce training and technical assistance. Since 1985, the center has developed and delivered workforce training that results in nationally recognized certifications from the Building Performance Institute and Building Operator Certification.

The college offers degrees and competency credentials in a variety of building construction program areas from residential and commercial building to concrete science and sustainable design.

The Clean Energy Center is on Reach Road and the college has other locations in Latrobe and Harrisburg.