Program trains workers, job seekers for greener future

BY MICHELLE SKEEN | BRBJ

(540) 981-3220 l michelle.skeen@bizjournal.com

The future is looking green for job seekers in Western Virginia.

The Construction, Retrofitting and Energy-efficient Assessment Training and Employment System, or CREATES, is a new regional energy training program that teaches workers skills for the renewable energy industry. The program is funded with stimulus money through a $3.8 million U.S. Department of Labor grant, so enrollment is free for students. The grant is part of a nearly $100 million program to fund 25 projects across the nation.

New River, Wytheville and Virginia Western community colleges will provide free training for CREATES participants throughout Western Virginia. Although the colleges already have some classes in place, they are working together to create a stronger curriculum.

"The funding is coming in to juice them up and make them better, more applicable and more available to the public," said Jackie Pontious, the CREATES employer outreach specialist from Community Housing Partners in Christiansburg.

The New River Center for Energy Research and Training, established by Community Housing Partners in 1999, will also hold CREATES classes. NCERT already has trainers certified by the Residential Energy Services Network, EarthCraft and the Building Performance Institute who can train new instructors for CREATES. The program's goal is to have 75 total participants signed up by the end of July, training as many people as the $3.8 million grant will allow.

Approximately 60 interested people attended an open house at New River Community College on June 30.

"Businesses are really excited to hear about the program," Pontious said. "They are really eager to make sure the program is done right. ... It's easy to fill up the advisory committee."

Pontious said the incentives the government has been offering for green construction and remodeling have also attracted interest.

The curriculum will cover areas such as renewable energy, alternative energy, solar power, wind power, HVAC energy efficiency and electricity efficiency.

"The classes will be focusing on commercial and residential ... making sure those facilities are using less energy," said Vincent Randall, a CREATES regional program specialist based in Roanoke, Alleghany, Botetourt, Craig and Franklin counties. The Department of Labor lists potential green jobs to include hybrid/electric vehicle auto technicians, weatherization experts, wind/energy auditors and solar panel installers.

Graduates will earn a certification or associate degree depending on their program.

"The thing I've discovered ... is the need beyond just the construction and labor part," Randall said. "There is a need for people to sell and market it, a need for people to administrate it, a need for people to teach it. It's a broader spectrum of jobs than we originally thought."

Randall is currently recruiting program participants, including dislocated, unemployed or underemployed workers. Meetings with companies about enrolling current workers have also been promising, he said.

Randall said employers are looking to educate their work forces about the green industry so they can advance green programs or promote those already in place.

The program will follow a traditional semester schedule at community colleges, with classes beginning in August. In addition to the three colleges, the CREATES partnership also includes Community Housing Partners, Virginia Tech, New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Investment Board, Western Virginia Workforce Development Board and the NewVa Corridor Technology Council.

"Overall, employers in the industry are real receptive," Pontious said. "It's a no-brainer in the business community. This is the way our country is focusing."

More information about the CREATES program is at www.createsprogram.org.