Delaware Tech Partners with Four Community Colleges to Form National Energy Center

DELAWARE — Delaware Technical Community College is partnering with four community colleges across the country to form the CREATE National Energy Center thanks to a $7.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Madison Area Technical College in Wisconsin is the lead college on the grant and will work with Delaware Tech, Central Carolina Community College in North Carolina, and Indian River State College in Florida to establish the Center. NSF expects it to become "the preeminent source of faculty professional development and instructional materials for energy educators."

"The U.S. is in the midst of a once-in-a-century transformation of our energy infrastructure," said Ken Walz, director of the CREATE Energy Center. "CREATE Energy Center colleges are national educational leaders, providing a skilled technical workforce to implement this paradigm change. Delaware Technical Community College has been a champion of both solar photovoltaic and energy management technology and is leading efforts to help more people launch careers in this fast-growing field."

The CREATE Energy Center's goal is to expand the country's advance energy technology workforce through supporting community college faculty and energy technology programs, offering a venue for more than 900 national STEM educators to network and share innovations. Delaware Tech's role in that effort is primarily focused on faculty professional development, mainly targeting high school teachers in the state, said Dr. Jennifer Clemons, who will lead this work as department chair for energy technologies at the College's Terry Campus in Dover.

By broadening participation in energy technology programs, Clemons said, Delaware Tech will have more graduates to meet the demand of employers in the energy sector.

"There are a lot of jobs out there," she said. "I have employers calling all the time, but we don't have enough graduates to fill the jobs right now."

Some of those employers include Seiberlich Trane, CMI Solar and Electric, the Delaware Natural Resources and Environmental Control Division of Energy & Climate, Albireo Energy, and New Ecology.

Dr. Mark T. Brainard, president of Delaware Tech, said the College's participation in the establishment of the CREATE Energy Center is just the latest example of its efforts to meet the demands of the state's workforce.

"We are honored to be among the few community colleges nationwide to partner in this important effort to increase awareness of the energy technology sector and boost the number of graduates in this growing field to meet the needs of our employers," he said. "This is great news not only for Delaware, but for our entire country."

According to NSF, most of the current energy infrastructure in the U.S. was built between the 1920s and the 1970s, which means much of it needs replacement and is soon-to-be obsolete. This provides a perfect opportunity to create new sustainable industries and economies through renewable energy, energy storage, energy efficiency, and other advanced, smart, and clean energy technologies. This could include wind and solar power, electric vehicles, agrivoltaics, and more.

"These are really good jobs," Clemons said. "Our graduates leave the College to earn salaries that support their families with great opportunities for advancement."

In addition to providing professional development for teachers statewide, Clemons is actively working to recruit more women into the profession because they are currently underrepresented in the industry.

She is looking forward to partnering with the other community colleges who are part of this important national effort to create a skilled workforce in the energy technology sector.

"It's a big deal for Delaware Tech," she said.