DENVER, CO--(Marketwire - Jun 6, 2011) - Ecotech Institute, the first and only college focused entirely on preparing America's workforce for careers in renewable energy and sustainable design, today announced that its website page for the Renewable Energy Technology Program has a new layout to answer some of the most common questions asked of prospective students. The new program pages answer questions such as "Is this program right for me?", "What will I learn?" and "Why Ecotech?" In addition to offering potential students curriculum information, the site now also explains what to expect from the program, what skill sets are most desirable for this field of study, and what careers are available in renewable energy technology.
"Ecotech's Renewable Energy Technology Program sets up graduates for success in fields that are rapidly expanding in many directions," says Michael Seifert, president of Ecotech Institute. "This particular area of study has been especially popular among students because it covers so many areas with a hands-on focus and a clear picture of how their education will be applied after graduation."
Ecotech designed this associate's degree program with a vast amount of employer input about what employers require from their employees. The Renewable Energy Technology degree is a two-year program that has a strong concentration on renewable energy fundamentals with an emphasis on engineering technology. With this foundation, students choose from a wide variety of electives such as classes in electrical engineering technology, solar or wind technology and environmental technology.
Ecotech Institute's Renewable Energy Technology program might be right for people who are passionate about the environment, interested in math and science, enjoy finding ways to improve processes, and like working outdoors.
Jobs for people with a degree in renewable energy technology could include: Wind Turbine Technician, Photovoltaic Installer, Solar Technician, Commercial and Residential Energy Analyst, Environmental Engineering Technician, Controls Technician, Heating and Air Conditioning Technician, Energy Efficiency Technician, Sustainability Specialist, Energy Technician and Wind Engineering Technician.
A wealth of research supports the demand for an educated workforce in the cleantech sector.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, environmental technology is the fastest growing technician field, projected at 30 percent growth through 2018.
The most recent data from the American Solar Energy Society estimates that in 2006 there were 16,000 jobs in wind turbine construction and maintenance. With wind farms now operating in 34 states across the U.S., that number is likely much higher today.
According to NREL, the current grid can produce as much as 35 percent of its power from wind and solar sources without requiring a significant increase in infrastructure.
A recent United Nations report stated that renewable energy could meet 80 percent of world power needs by 2050.
Ecotech Institute, which is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, launched in Aurora, Colorado in April 2010 with seven highly practical degree programs and one certificate program that provide graduates with skills valued by today's alternative renewable energy employers. Now in a brand new, energy efficient campus, Ecotech boasts cutting-edge labs, outstanding student amenities and a bustling student culture.
In addition to the Renewable Energy Technology program, Ecotech Institute offers the following programs:
- Energy Efficiency Program, Associate of Applied Science
- Energy and Environmental Paralegal, Associate of Applied Science
- Environmental Technology, Associate of Applied Science
- Electrical Energy Technology, Associate of Applied Science
- Solar Energy Technology, Associate of Applied Science
- Sustainable Interior Design, Certificate Program
- Wind Energy Technology, Associate of Applied Science
To learn more about Ecotech Institute, visit www.ecotechinstitute.com. The next round of classes begins this month and applications are being accepted now. Financial assistance is available.
About Ecotech Institute
Ecotech Institute is the first and only college entirely focused on preparing America's workforce for careers in renewable energy and sustainable design. Launched in April 2010 in Denver, Colorado, the college offers seven associate's degrees and a certificate program designed by experts in the industry for people seeking careers in the emerging cleantech economy. Ecotech Institute is a division of Education Corporation of America. For more information about Ecotech Institute, visit www.ecotechinstitute.com/.
About Education Corporation of America
Education Corporation of America is a leader in the post-secondary career school market with current enrollment of nearly 19,000 students. The ECA website is www.ecacolleges.com/. In addition to Ecotech Institute, ECA schools include Virginia College, founded in 1983, a private institution of higher education that offers non-degree and associate's, bachelor's and master's degree programs in the areas of Health and Medical, Business, Information Technology, Interior Design, Computer Design, Culinary Arts, Cosmetology, Nursing and more in eighteen different cities. Virginia College campuses are located in Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile and Montgomery, Alabama; Jacksonville and Pensacola, Florida; Augusta, Macon and Savannah, Georgia; Biloxi and Jackson, Mississippi; Charleston, Spartanburg, Columbia, and Greenville, South Carolina; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Richmond, Virginia; and Austin, Texas. The Virginia College website is www.vc.edu/. Virginia College also offers classes worldwide via the Internet, with student services and admissions facilities in Birmingham, Alabama, and Tampa, Florida. Information about online classes at Virginia College is available at www.vconline.edu. Additionally, ECA operates Culinard, the Culinary Institute of Virginia College, with locations in Birmingham and Mobile, Alabama; Richmond, Virginia; and Jacksonville, Florida. The website is www.culinard.com. ECA also operates Golf Academy of America, with locations in Phoenix, Arizona; San Diego, California; Orlando, Florida; and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The Golf Academy website is www.golfacademy.edu.
Contact Information:
Contact:
Alicia Hassinger or Jenny Foust
CSG|PR
720.933.8119