MAJESTC Project



Story by: Wade Fulghum, Program Manager Economic Development

  

The North Carolina Solar Center (NCSC) in the College of Engineering at North Carolina State University has been awarded funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, DE-FOA-0000078, Topic Two-Solar Workforce Development, Category One-Regional Resource and Training Providers, Category 1C-PV and SHC to become a “Regional Resource & Training Provider”. The NCSC is uniquely positioned to be utilized as a “Regional Resource & Training Provider”. The NCSC intends to leverage their network of partners and experience in the solar industry over the last two decades and capitalize on the NCSC’s unique training environment to serve as a train-the-trainer center for the Mid-Atlantic region.  North Carolina was the first state in the Southeast to pass Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards legislation, and is home to the corporate headquarters of Progress Energy and Duke Energy so many neighboring states are watching the NC solar market closely.
These factors plus the fact that the NCSC is the only Institute for Sustainable Power Quality (ISPQ) Certified facility in the Mid-Atlantic Region with a proven track record of professional training in both solar photovoltaics (PV) and solar heating and cooling (SHC) should be considered reasons why the NCSC is uniquely positioned to become a “Regional Resource & Training Provider” under this FOA.
The proposed “Mid-Atlantic Joint Excellence in Solar Training Consortia” (MAJESTC) project would expand the training offerings from training solar professionals and the installation workforce to training the “Local Educational Institution” (LEI) instructors. Under this proposal the NCSC would address the education, training, and professional development of solar instructors through: 
  • providing classroom and hands-on training in the region
  • assistance in development of standardized curricula for the LEI’s
  • make available online training and reference modules, and online financial tools for the Local Educational Institutions to utilize
  • provide a mobile solar training trailer that can utilized by LEI’s who do not have solar equipment
  • coordination and promotion of best practices in the solar industry through National Consortium
By leveraging this funding to transform the NCSC’s quality training program, the MAJESTC project would assist in developing the solar industry (which includes solar thermal installers, solar photovoltaic installers, sales representatives, solar engineers, solar installation foremen, and solar tax, legal, and financial professionals) while upholding the highest standards in train-the-trainer programs.  The MAJESTC project would help to achieve the goals of the Solar Workforce Regional Training
and Resources program:
  • address a critical need for quality trainers in PV and SHC at community colleges and other identified candidates in partnering states
  • in a coordinated effort with the National Consortium, development and implementation of teaching materials for trainers to provide a standardized system of practice
  • provide classroom and hands-on training
  • develop a new certificate program to train new trainers to provide training in the solar industry
  • develop online information and resources that are required of LEI instructors
  • implement workshops and face-to-face conferences with trainers, community colleges, vocational and technical high schools, Johnson Controls, SEOs, to provide solar industry information and best practices.

Link to the announcement: http://www2.eere.energy.gov/solar/instructor_training_network.html


 


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