Innovations in Applied Energy Industry-Education Collaborations. Strategic Contributions of Industry Advisory Committees to Energy Related Education and Training

摘要

The growing need of well educated and trained energy workforce personnel demands that educational organizations and government workforce commissions must collaborate in innovative ways that such obligation will be encountered following the evolution of energy and technology. Such collaborations involve the direct participation of industry in the generation of energy educational and training programs that produce competent, safe, and skilled hands-on technical personnel. Activities that involve creation of scholarships, donation of equipment, internships and cooperative education opportunities, applied research, contract training and continuing education are some of the benefits that are generated by such mutual benefited partnerships. The Houston Community College (HCC) Energy Division responding to the needs of Houston Energy Industries developed technical programs that are fully supported and guided by industry advisory committees, in the petrochemical, chemical, refining, natural gas, fuel cell and alternative energies, environmental, instrumentation, and biotechnology (bio-energy) fields. Enormous benefits have positively affected the local community and the region from such implemented partnerships.