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Posted 06.01.2010

State of the state: Education

Ecotech Institute plans to launch clean-tech training center in Aurora

By Mike Cote

Training a "green collar" work force has been one of the most pressing needs of the new-energy economy advocated by Gov. Bill Ritter. A new school dubbed the first of its kind in the country aims to fill that gap with a flagship campus in Aurora that will bring 76 jobs to the city.

The Education Corp. of America is launching the Ecotech Institute, a college that will focus solely on preparing workers for careers in renewable energy and sustainable design. The private company unveiled plans for the school in April at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science to local business and political leaders.

Education Corp. CEO Tom Moore said the company began researching the idea about 18 months ago.

"As we got into it, we weren't sure whether this was going to be a full-blown school or a program," Moore said. "The more we pulled on that string and the more we understood it, the more we found that there is enormous demand in the sector."

The institute, which Moore said Education Corp. plans to establish in other U.S. cities, will launch with seven associate's degrees and a certificate program focusing on such disciplines as electrical engineering, energy efficiency, solar energy and wind energy. Education Corp. plans to redevelop a vacant building in Aurora to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards.

Ritter, who attended the launch, said the school will help ensure Colorado can address the industry's diverse needs.

"We want to ensure as part of building the ecosystem for the new-energy economy that not only are we creating jobs in the manufacturing end but in the installation end as well, and it takes training to do that," Ritter said.

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science has been a destination locale for clean-tech announcements. President Barack Obama chose the museum to sign the federal stimulus bill there in February 2009 as he touted Colorado's new-energy economy. The museum features 465 solar panels, which generate a portion of its electrical power.

On ColoradoBiz TV: Watch video interviews with Moore and Ritter.

Mike Cote is the editor of ColoradoBiz. E-mail him at mcote@cobizmag.com.

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