The British Columbia (BC) Sustainable Energy Association has rolled out a project called Clean Energy Classrooms. The project features a two-part directory to all of Canada's currently available training and education options in renewable energy. It is run by Renewable Recruits, a green energy promotions and recruiting firm.
The directory includes an online portal, cleanenergyclassrooms.ca, featuring post-secondary, industry, Aboriginal and non-profit-based training options. The project’s second phase is a print edition that is due for release in October 2008. The print edition will be distributed at no cost to secondary schools, labor unions and other key locations.
The project was noticed by BC’s Ministry of Energy, Mines, and Petroleum Resources, which has a number of goals in its BC Energy Plan related to sustainable energy and training. The Ministry provided seed money to kick-start the project. Schools, industry groups and non-profit organizations are participating in Clean Energy Classrooms through sponsorship and by helping with promotions.
Randyn Seibold, who runs Renewable Recruits, felt the project was an important early step in the drive to build a human resource base for this emerging sector. “Clean energy programs now exist from Vancouver Island to Prince Edward Island, and this online portal and subsequent print edition should help ensure that clean energy vocations as a whole will be on students’ radars when making education decisions,” said Seibold.
