Riverland Community College in Minnesota will receive $48,450 to develop the wind turbine technician-renewable energy diploma, which will offer students a new career path in the Riverland Construction Electrician program. The grant, provided by the Carl D. Perkins state leadership fund, will be used for faculty to develop the needed curriculum and to purchase the necessary equipment and learning aids to implement the program.
The proposed wind turbine technician program will address the growing demand for highly qualified personnel to service and maintain the increasing number of turbines used in the renewable energy industry today and for the foreseeable future. Design, operation, and maintenance theory and application of multi-industry turbine technology usage will be explored with an emphasis on wind turbine/renewable energy applications.
‘Serving this industry provides an additional option to existing high-demand programs already available at Riverland,’ says Ron Langrell, Riverland executive vice president. ‘Graduates will have access to one of the area's fastest-growing high-wage job opportunities.’
Riverland has secured numerous industry and school partners to help plan, develop and implement this program, including Juhl Energy Development Inc., Vestas, Horizon Wind/Prairie Star Wind Farm, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation and more.
SOURCE: Riverland Community College
