UCF Receives $482,000 to Expand ‘Green’ Jobs Training Program

COCOA, June 18, 2010 – More local workers can receive ‘green’ job training thanks to a $482,000 federal grant to the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) at the University of Central Florida.

The grant, given under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will expand FSEC’s weatherization training program, which provides inspectors, contractors and other skilled workers training courses in energy efficiency retrofitting and weatherization services, such as house air sealing and air duct diagnoses and repair.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) selected 34 projects in 27 states to develop or expand weatherization training centers. FSEC is one of three training centers in Florida selected to receive part of the $29 million in funding.

Under the Recovery Act, the Obama Administration is making unprecedented investments to help build a clean energy future, including $5 billion to significantly ramp up the pace of weatherization in the United States.

“A well-trained workforce will be a crucial part of America’s clean energy economy in the years ahead,” said Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman. “These investments in efficiency training programs will help build a foundation for long-term growth in America. Energy efficiency improves the competitiveness of our economy, benefits the environment, and puts Americans back to work.”

FSEC plans to expand the scope and curriculum of their training center, originally created to train 150 weatherization inspectors for Florida’s Department of Community Affairs.

The new FSEC courses will integrate Florida-specific weatherization protocols into DOE-standardized weatherization training curricula. Additional training models will be developed to enrich learning and allow increased hands-on testing and measurements. The new course offerings will be applicable to inspectors, contractors and program managers.

The advanced training classes will include:

• house envelope air sealing concepts and approaches,
• duct diagnosis and repair,
• resolving unbalanced return air problems,
• solving wind washing problems,
• the use of infrared thermography to diagnose thermal and air leakage failures in buildings, and
• combustion safety.

“Our training courses will not only teach students weatherization and energy efficiency techniques, but also the safety issues involved when the air tightness of a building is changed,” said Neil Moyer, principal research engineer at FSEC.

The 34 DOE-selected projects will significantly expand access to weatherization training, while improving the quality and consistency of training nationwide.

These investments will continue to build on the Administration’s efforts to expand the green workforce and build a self-sustaining energy retrofit industry that creates high-quality jobs, while improving the environment and saving energy.

For more information, including the complete list of award recipients, see the DOE announcement online at http://www.energy.gov/news/9029.htm.