Renewable energy is one of the fastest growing employment sectors in the U.S., a trend which isn’t likely to end to anytime soon. With this growth, comes a need for properly trained workers, especially wind turbine technicians, which usually requires either a technical school degree or an associates. These are often decent paying jobs, which means that those who can get a head start on training are in a good position to improve their overall quality of life and work in a field that is growing in demand.
With this obvious need, one small town in Texas will be starting a program to begin training high school students and to give them a head start towards a degree at Texas State Technical College. The Webb Consolidated Independent School District in Bruni Texas will begin offering the program starting next year, which is likely to be the first such program in the country, and one that they hope will serve as a national model. By preparing high school students for a career in wind energy, they are also providing many low income students with a stepping stone to the middle class. Not only that, but they will also be part of the inevitable move away from fossil fuels and into clean energy.
Not only is it good to see a push towards more renewable energy, but it is also good to see some schools getting back into teaching some sort of trade or technical program in general. With all the emphasis placed on college, we have ignored trade and technical options for far too long as a vital part of extended education.
