College of the Desert won the Green Leadership Award for the Desert Energy Enterprise Center (DEEC) in the Curriculum category from the publication “Green Technology” in Pasadena, CA.
The Managing Editor, Racquel Palmese, noted, “Our Advisory Board was extremely impressed with the whole project. It’s an honor to help spread the word about your efforts in sustainability.”
John Jaramillo, Dean of the School of Applied Sciences and Business, received the award at the ceremony which took place during the Green California Schools and Community Colleges Summit on November 5 at the Pasadena Convention Center.
College of the Desert’s Desert Energy Enterprise Center (DEEC) was established as a center for workforce and career pathway development in energy and sustainability. Over the past few years, the Center has provided a leadership role in the Inland Empire and Desert region for the development and offering of training programs designed to impart workforce skills needed in these emerging industries. With program direction from Larry McLaughlin, DSN for Advanced Transportation & Renewable Energy, the Center has provided training in utility-scale solar energy, solar photovoltaics for the residential and commercial markets, wind turbine maintenance, advanced lighting controls, Home Energy Rating Systems certification, and Title 24 energy efficiency implementation. Working in partnership with Riverside Workforce Development, these programs have resulted in employment and new career opportunity for many unemployed workers in the region.
The programs at the Desert Energy Enterprise Center have served COD’s traditional students as well as those currently in the workforce. The programs have yielded significant curriculum resources and expertise that have provided a foundation for the College’s new credit certificate program in Energy Systems Technologies, which officially launches this Spring. In addition, the DEEC has been the nucleus for a number of career pathway activities in the Coachella Valley. Working with the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership and the region’s public schools, College of the Desert has engaged in the development of new career pathways, teacher professional development, and structured activities for students – all relating to the clean energy sector.
The Desert Energy Enterprise Center has been equipped for the teaching of energy-related subjects, including solar energy, wind energy, and energy efficiency systems and methods. Courses there teach students how to implement these technologies in the field. Many of the systems used for training have been donated by industry partners, including First Solar, NextEra Energy Resources, Parker-Hannifin, WinTec, and Gossamer Space Frames. College of the Desert is the only college in the country equipped to provide training on parabolic trough solar collectors, thanks to support from the California Energy Commission and industry partners.
The project beneficiaries are the regional workforce – current and future, COD certificate and degree program students, public school students, the regional workforce development and economic development agencies, and clean energy industry partners.
About the Desert Energy Enterprise Center at College of the Desert
The Desert Energy Enterprise Center (DEEC) houses energy-related professional development, workforce training, and energy technology demonstration projects. It provides a west-valley location where the College is establishing industry/education partnerships to support the growth of renewable energy in our region.
About College of the Desert
Established in 1958, College of the Desert (COD) is an accredited community college serving eastern Riverside County, California. COD offers over 100 degree and certificate programs and leads the region in providing quality, higher education, technical training and lifelong learning opportunities, in response to the dynamic needs of our diverse community. The college serves more than 10,000 credit students and 1,000 non‐credit students each year and is the number one source of transfer students to California State University, San Bernardino Palm Desert Campus. For more information, visit www.collegeofthedesert.edu.
