The grant will purchase carbon-neutral equipment and four electric vehicles for students to practice.
Clark College in Vancouver, Wash., received $1 million in federal funding to purchase clean energy technology and equipment to develop a Center for Clean Energy, the college announced this week. The new center will train students clean energy technician jobs in the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area.
The funding will come from the 2023 Community Project Fund. Clark College will use the money to purchase a new solar array, hydro trainer, small-scale wind tower, four electric vehicles and other training equipment. That equipment will be used by the college’s mechatronics technology program which trains students for careers in power utilities, its technology program which trains students on the repair and maintenance of various electric vehicles, and its Boschma Farms advanced manufacturing program – scheduled to begin in the winter of 2025, according to a press release from Clark.
The Boschma Farms program will train students on the manufacturing of solar and wind energy products at the new Boschma Farms campus, currently under construction in Ridgefield, WA.
In addition to training, the Center will engage Clark College students with local growth industries in solar and wind energy production, advanced manufacturing, and electric vehicles.
“One of the biggest challenges is finding skilled employees to fill the high-wage jobs in these industries,“ Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce president, John McDonagh said in a press release. “We are excited to learn that Clark College students who are pursuing clean energy, manufacturing, and sustainable sciences will soon be able to train in these emerging and expanding markets.”
These clean energy programs will be led by Clark’s dean of workforce, professional and technical education Theo Koupelis.
“We are thankful for receiving federal support to strengthen our current programs at Clark College and to expand our offerings in clean energy-related programs,” Koupelis said in the release. “This support will provide our students with excellent educational experiences and additional job opportunities in areas that will directly impact our community and state.”
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