High Interest In Green Jobs Prompts Brunswick Community College To Launch a New Solar Installer Class
WILMINGTON, NC, July 19, 2011 – Starting August 6, 2011, Brunswick Community College will begin offering a NABCEP® Approved Solar Installer training program. Upon successful completion of the coursework, students will be eligible to sit for the NABCEP® Entry Level Exam. The curriculum was designed by Brunswick Community College’s Green Information and Training Center (GITC) in cooperation with Cape Fear Solar Systems, LLC as part of the college’s aim to help the community with training and information on sustainability. John Donoghue, President of Cape Fear Solar, and one of only four solar experts in the United States to have achieved triple NABCEP® Certification, will be the lead instructor.
The course was carefully prepared by the GITC and Cape Fear Solar based on the PV installation job task analysis developed by NABCEP® to meet the requirements for Brunswick Community College to become a Registered NABCEP® Entry Level Exam Provider. This academic goal has been met. “We are proud to announce that Brunswick Community College is one of the eleven academic institutions in the State of North Carolina approved as a NABCEP® Entry Level Exam Provider,” states excited Marilyn Graham, GIT Center Coordinator at Brunswick Community College.
The entry level solar course was created as a response to the increasing demand for qualified solar installers as a result of the booming renewable energy industry in Southeastern North Carolina. “Individuals are entering the alternative energy market without having the necessary knowledge of the technology, or the construction industry. That is why the solar market is experiencing problems resulting from poorly designed and installed systems, which affects the whole industry,” says Donoghue.
According to Solar Energy Industry Association, Solar is the Fastest Growing Industry in the U.S. and accordingly, the demand for qualified personnel increases. NABCEP® Certification is the most recognized trade mark in the field of alternative energy in the United States and is required by many companies as a condition for employment. NABCEP’s rigorous competency standards for certification send a clear message to consumers, financers, and public officials that the industry stresses the highest standards in safety, workmanship, and ethical business practices.
Being part of the continuing education program, the class will provide students with basic knowledge of construction, electricity, and plumbing, as well as job site safety. After obtaining the fundamentals, students will follow two modules, Solar Photovoltaic and Solar Thermal. The solar modules will teach students how to install a safe and code compliant solar electric and solar thermal system. A combination of lectures, demonstrations, discussions and hands-on lab work will prepare the students for job placement and will qualify them to pursue the NABCEP® Entry Level Exam Certificate.
Passing the NABCEP® Entry Level Exam testifies to a practitioner’s basic knowledge, comprehension and application of key elements and concepts of solar system operations suitable for a supervised, entry level position with a dealer and/or installer or other solar industry company.
About BCC Green Information and Training Center
Brunswick Community College’s Center for Economic and Workforce Development has created the Green Information and Training Center (GITC) to help the community with training and information on sustainability. For more information about the Solar Installer, Weatherization and Sustainable Construction Supervisor program, call Marilyn Graham, GIT Center Coordinator at 910-755-8561 or email grahamm@brunswickcc.edu. More information about the Brunswick Community College’s Green Information and Training Center can be found at http://www.brunswickcc.edu/continuing-education/green-information-amp-training-center.
