Governor Terry McAuliffe visited the Chesapeake campus of Tidewater Community College Monday to tour the college’s renewable training laboratories and highlight the clean energy certification programs they offer. The Governor toured the facility as part of his Clean Energy Virginia Jobs Tour, which has highlighted the Governor’s executive actions to cap carbon emissions in Virginia and create the next generation of Virginia energy jobs.
“I am pleased to be here today with President Baehre-Kolovani, TCC faculty, and students and alumni to get a firsthand look at how Virginia is training the next generation of clean energy workers,” said Governor McAuliffe, while on a tour of Tidewater Community College’s Chesapeake Campus. “Solar jobs have increased 65 percent in Virginia in the last year alone, making the Commonwealth one of the fastest growing solar job markets in the country. We need to make sure that we are preparing Virginians to fill these jobs and further diversify our economy.”
Since 2012, TCC has offered a Renewable Technology Career Studies Certificate that prepares students for a career in the manufacture and installation of clean energy technologies such as wind and solar. Beginning in 2016, TCC has also partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Navy Region Mid-Atlantic on the Solar Ready Vets program to train transitioning military personnel for a career in the clean energy industry.
“The Renewable Energy Career Certificate and the Solar Ready Vets program bring together some of the Governor’s top priorities of workforce development, career opportunities for our military veterans, and economic diversification through the growth of 21st century industries,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Todd Haymore. “Virginia’s community colleges are leading the charge of giving Virginians the certifications and credentials they need to be successful right here in the Commonwealth. These programs are a testament to that leadership and we look forward to more Virginians taking advantage of this opportunity.”
Governor McAuliffe toured TCC as his fourth stop on his Clean Energy Jobs Tour throughout the Commonwealth. To kick off the tour, Governor McAuliffe signed Executive Directive 11, which instructs the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to begin the process of establishing regulations in Virginia that will reduce carbon emissions from power plants. The order, which is the first state-level executive action on climate and clean energy in the Trump era, will cap carbon emissions from electric utilities and establish a mechanism for joining a multi-state carbon market.
Previously on the Clean Energy Virginia Jobs Tour, Governor McAuliffe traveled to Russell County to announce $5.6 million in bonds from the VirginiaSAVES program to assist Russell County Public Schools finance energy efficient improvements in sixteen buildings at nine schools in the County. Most recently, the Governor joined clean energy stakeholders in Danville for a roundtable discussion where he announced that the Kentuck Solar project, Virginia’s largest municipal solar farm, will begin construction in August. Governor McAuliffe completes the Clean Energy Jobs Tour next week in Richmond.
“I personally am delighted that the Governor chose TCC to highlight job growth in renewable energy,” said Tidewater Community College President Edna V. Baehre-Kolovani. “TCC listens to employers, and we respond with high quality education and workforce training programs in relevant high demand areas. We are especially proud of Solar Ready Vets, our partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy and Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, which prepares sailors for post-military careers in the solar industry.”
About the Renewable Energy Technologies Career Studies Certificate
The Career Studies Certificate in Renewable Energy Technologies prepares students for a career in the renewable energy industry. The program began in 2012 and was one of the first programs of its kind in Virginia. The courses are intended to teach students about the design, installation, and maintenance of alternative energy systems, including solar, thermal, and wind. The Career Studies Certificate in Renewable Energy Technologies consists of 3 semesters of part-time study. The course can also be used as credits toward other Associates Degrees or transferred to a 4-year institution.
About the Solar Ready Vets Program
The Solar Ready Vets program prepares transitioning military members for careers in the solar energy industry. Tidewater Community College is partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy and Navy Region Mid-Atlantic. The TCC program began as a pilot in the summer of 2016. Solar Ready Vets is also being run in eight other states throughout the country.
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