Students at Folsom Lake College’s El Dorado Center in Placerville now have access to new training for what the U.S. Department of Labor calls an “excellent” job opportunity field – water/wastewater treatment.
Last year, the Los Rios Community College District received a $2 million federal job-training grant to develop the next generation of clean tech workers. The resulting Greenforce Initiative funds classes such as Clean Diesel Technology, Solar Systems Design, Commercial Energy Auditing and Sustainable Landscape to the Los Rios Campuses. As part of this program, Folsom Lake College will be offering five classes in the fall of 2010 ranging from Wastewater Collection Systems Operation and Maintenance to Science for Water Operators.
Folsom Lake College Dean of Instruction, Career and Technical Education Stu Van Horn estimates that as many as 190 students could be enrolled in these classes in the fall.
Graduates of the certificate program will be able to analyze, troubleshoot and operate the next generation of water and wastewater management equipment. These are skills that will be in high demand, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Because of expected much faster than average employment growth and a large number of upcoming retirements, job opportunities will be excellent,” reads a recent Bureau posting.
As processing, converting and cleaning contaminated water and wastewater becomes more difficult, and this natural resource becomes more scarce, the skills taught in Placerville will become even more important. That was the message when the program was featured at a Linking Education and Economic Development Convergence Breakfast in May.
Learn more about Greenforce at www.losrios.edu/lrc/lrc_greenforce.php .
Comments are closed.