Great jobs power a sustainable economy

Des Moines Area Community College was proud to host Diocese of Des Moines Bishop Richard Pates at an event following Pope Francis’ recent encyclical about the moral obligation to improve the environment. Sustainability is something that DMACC takes very seriously, both internally and externally as we prepare a future workforce for “green-collar” jobs.

As the Pope calls for engagement on environmental issues, we are working on solutions. DMACC has signed on to the American College & University President’s Climate Commitment, and have created an Operation Green initiative to create awareness within the DMACC campuses and its members regarding the financial and environmental impact of our existence. This project creates and fosters a sustainability contingent within the DMACC district in order to investigate, design, implement and evaluate our move to a greener existence.

DMACC offers another solution as we prepare a future workforce for jobs in renewable energy. Iowa holds an enviable position in the global wind energy space and needs to be aggressive in its development and promotion. Thousands of wind generators are appearing on Iowa's landscape, and the EPA’s proposed Clean Power Plan will continue to enhance Iowa’s leadership in wind energy and other renewables.

The Clean Power Plan will not only provide a healthier environment; it will literally put Iowans to work. Utility companies that are installing these 300-foot-tall wind turbines need skilled workers who know how to build, operate, repair and maintain them. DMACC launched a Wind Turbine Technician Program in 2011 on our Ankeny and Carroll Campuses that prepares students for a career as a maintenance technician in industrial manufacturing. Eighty-five to 90 percent of our Technician graduates find jobs in the field and, with some experience, earn $25 or more per hour. Although our target is good Iowa jobs, some of our graduates have worked as far away as Spain and Germany. These are great careers with higher than average projected growth. We are always looking for more good students.

Here at DMACC, we partner with industry to tell the story of the wind industry’s great jobs, and community colleges can attract and train the next generation of highly-skilled workers. Exciting new job opportunities are being created daily by the expansion of this exciting industry.

Iowa’s community college system provides access to affordable education for all Iowan’s, and programs like the wind technician program at DMACC prepare a vibrant workforce for the highly-skilled, green-collar jobs of the future.

ROB DENSON is president of the Des Moines Area Community College. Contact: rjdenson@DMACC.edu.