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  Wind News

Green Jobs Academy unveiled in Pennsylvania

Congressman Patrick Murphy (center) cuts the ribbon at the College’s new Green Jobs Academy. With (from left) Robert Garraty, Deputy Secretary for Pa. Labor & Industry Workforce Development; John Hangar, Secretary of the Pa. Dept. of Environmental Protection; Kurt Geiger, Gamesa Vice President, Human Capital Management, North America; Bucks President James Linksz; and K. Leon Moyer, President of Univest National Bank and Trust Co.

A new Green Jobs Academy has been unveiled in Pennsylvania, aiming to train workers for the growing “green economy” in the state.

The Academy has been launched by Bucks County Community College, in Bristol Township, and is supported by wind energy company Gamesa USA.

The facility in the College’s Bridge Business Center on Route 413 has received $946,000 in state and federal assistance.

Dr. James Linksz, College president, said the Academy brought together the educational resources of both the college and Gamesa.

He said: “The Bridge Business Center and Green Jobs Academy site are quickly becoming the place to be for both training and development of sustainable science and technology. It is altogether fitting that Gamesa is a signature partner in this enterprise.”

Gamesa

Gamesa, part of the Spanish wind manufacturing and development company, employs 800 people in Pennsylvania. It will support the new Academy with training and curriculum resources.

Last month the company launched its own Corporate University to train workers across the globe, with campuses in Europe and Asia. The Academy in Bristol, Pennsylvania will act as the US base.

“Workers at every skill level are in high demand as the green economy flourishes,” said Luis Miguel Fernandez, Chief Corporate Officer of Gamesa North America. “This academy will help us with the skilled labor we need to keep building American’s clean energy future.”

Training

The community college received $631,000 from the US Department of Energy to develop weatherization training centers. The Green Jobs Academy will include training for local workers in energy efficiency retrofitting, allowing them to expand the use of energy efficiency systems in homes and businesses.

A further $315,000 came from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, and will fund programs geared specifically for veterans, including technical training, internships and career development activities.

“Green jobs occupy an important role in Pennsylvania’s economy,” said Dr. Robert Garraty, Pa. Labor & Industry Deputy Secretary for Workforce Development. “To maintain our leadership in the global marketplace, we must invest in workforce programs that ensure Pennsylvanians have the skills to compete and succeed against global competition. The Green Jobs Academy is one of those investments.”