ISU receives $586,234 Advanced Technology Education Program Grant from NSF

After having just received a grant in December of 2006 to establish the Idaho State University  Energy Systems Technology and Education Center, the team of ISU’s College of Technology, the Idaho National Laboratory (supported by the Center for Advanced Energy Studies) and Partners for Prosperity has secured yet a second grant targeting improvements in the training and education of those aspiring to an energy-related career.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded ISU and its partners a $586,234 Advanced Technological Education Program Grant to produce a new Energy Systems Instrumentation and Control Engineering Technology Curriculum. This project was formulated by the partnership as an energy resource improvement strategy to elevate learner outcomes for those entering critical instrumentation and control technician positions in the energy industry.

ISU President Arthur Vailas comments, "This grant will contribute significantly to Idaho State University's efforts in providing Idaho with opportunity, learning, and innovation in the rapidly growing energy field,"

Continuing productive partnerships between Idaho State University, the Idaho National Laboratory and Partners for Prosperity have made this a possibility. The new grant compliments the $2 million Community Based Job Training Grant received from the U.S. Department of Labor to be used in the development and national dissemination of a standardized energy industry-focused Instrumentation and Control Engineering Technology curriculum, leading to an Associate of Applied Science degree.

“We are very fortunate to have been selected to receive a grant from NSF. It is a very competitive process,” states Dr. Marilyn Davis, College of Technology Dean, “This grant adds another key dimension to the DOL energy grant we received in December.”

The NSF Grant has been received just as the newly funded ISU Energy Systems Technology and Education Center prepares to offer the first of three new two year energy-focused degrees.  The first of these degrees, Instrumentation and Control Engineering Technology, commences this fall.  Graduates of the program will receive an Associate of Applied Science degree and will be prepared for exciting, challenging and high-paying careers in the field of energy. Two other degrees being readied for release in 2008 and 2009, respectively, include Energy Systems Electrical Engineering Technology and Energy Systems Mechanical Engineering Technology.

The Energy Systems Instrumentation and Control Engineering Technology (ESICET) curriculum will provide a competency-based curriculum developed in cooperation with industry to ensure the employability and career mobility of two-year technical college graduates across the U.S. energy industry. The unique partnership approach, which includes industry, community, government and educational partners, will provide competency-based skills training across all energy types including fossil, hydroelectric, renewable and nuclear energy sources.

In addition, the ESICET program will increase the number and quality of students prepared to enter the energy workforce by defining and promoting energy career pathways for high school students and underrepresented groups. A “train the trainer” formula adapted and adopted from Central Virginia Community College’s, “Priming the Pipeline” program (also an NSF-funded program) will provide teachers with hands-on energy-related lab applications and classroom materials that meet Idaho state standards. The Tech Prep Consortium and Partners for Prosperity will further expand outreach activities by highlighting energy technician careers across the region to students, the unemployed, the underemployed and the underrepresented populations.

The ESICET curriculum and the new ISU Energy Systems Technology and Education Center are expected to have a broad regional and national impact. Severe shortages of technical workers threatens to undermine the ability of the energy industry to continue to meet current power demands let alone expand to meet anticipated future demands.  Increasing demand for energy compounds the already severe energy workforce challenge. The Edison Electric Institute (EEI), an electric industry association, expects that electricity demand in the U.S. will grow by about 45 percent in the next 15 to 20 years. The EEI found that the crafts, technicians and skilled labor positions were of greatest concern for utilities and electric power plants. Also, according to American Electric Power, currently the nation’s largest electricity generator, as more automation and technology is integrated into power generating facilities; more technicians with stronger backgrounds in science, math, and technology will be required.

The partnerships between ISU College of Technology, CAES, INL, and Partners for Prosperity are well qualified to address energy technician shortages.

The ISU College of Technology is the largest postsecondary technical education institute in the state of Idaho, offering students the opportunity to acquire professional, technical education in a University setting. Coursework is designed to meet the needs of students as well as business, industry and the community. As the lead partner, the College of Technology has managed many partnerships with a broad spectrum of representatives from industry and government. Idaho law requires the College to have industry involvement in all programs that assist in providing cutting edge technology instruction for students.

The Idaho National Laboratory, recently designated by the Department of Energy (DOE) as the nation’s preeminent nuclear energy research facility, also serves as the nation’s command center for advanced civilian nuclear technology research and development. The INL, and its more than 3,300 scientists, engineers and technicians develop practical energy-related solutions for the real world. The INL’s efforts in supporting grant activities such as this underscores its strong commitment to education and training at all levels.

The Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) is a public/private partnership comprised of Boise State University (BSU), Idaho State University (ISU), the University of Idaho (UI), and the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). It combines and seeks to extend the efforts of these Idaho research institutions. CAES focuses scientific and technical expertise among its four member institutions on emerging energy-related challenges. The unique CAES collaboration environment creates opportunities to transfer knowledge; to train a new energy workforce; to enhance institutional scientific capabilities; and, to support sustainable economic expansion. CAES encourages cross-organizational, peer-to-peer technical collaboration in nuclear, renewable, fossil and alternative energy research focused on regional, national and global energy issues and challenges. By providing an integrated education and training environment, CAES and its academic collaborators can engage private industry in developing new energy professionals, in policy issue management, in technology research and thereby conceptualize the energy industry of the future. Three of the CAES partner institutions, Idaho State, Boise State and the INL are participating in this grant.

Partners for Prosperity (P4P) is a non-profit community-focused organization dedicated to poverty reduction in the sixteen Eastern Idaho counties. P4P currently manages over $12 million in grant funds for projects related to education, economic development and personal empowerment. P4P is a principal resource in building bridges to potential workers that require support in entering the technology workforce and has leveraged substantial funds in support of both the Department of Labor and National Science Foundation grant activities.

Tech Prep is a national and State effort which emphasizes collaboration between high schools and Idaho technical colleges while preparing students for entry into the workforce.

High school technical programs prepare many students with basic skills in a particular vocation. Postsecondary programs teach basic skills and higher level skills designed to improve student opportunities for better jobs, higher wages and promotions. In a Tech Prep program, high school and college instructors work together to design a seamless education system in which Tech Prep students can move from high school to college without having to repeat courses and while receiving college credit for those courses they complete.

Additional organizations pledging support for the ESICET curriculum include; AREVA, Boise State University, Central Virginia Community College, Entergy LLC, Great Basin College, Idaho Power, NIDA Corporation, and Utah Valley State College.

For more information about this grant or the Energy Systems Technology and Education Center, please contact the principal investigator, Scott Rasmussen, at (208) 282-3400.