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In Texas, the Greenforce® Initiative works with community colleges in the Houston, San Antonio, and South Texas regions. The Initiative supports green jobs training programs that provide career pathways for the lower-skilled and non-English speaking workforce. The initiative also supports the strengthening of community college partnerships with employers that advance local economic development.

FEATURED RESOURCES

New Texas Labor Market Reports

FEATURED PARTNERS

South Texas College (McAllen, Texas)

South Texas College (STC) has been an early partner of the Greenforce® Initiative. Since joining the network, South Texas College Technology Campus hosted the first ever Greenforce® Initiative Summit. The National Wildlife Federation and Jobs for the Future, along with STC, and community colleges from Houston, San Antonio and Laredo, collaborated together to hold the first regional summit of its kind in October 2010.

Sustainability in the Curriculum

STC has been gradually increasing opportunities for students to train for the green economy. Their current offering of clean-economy themed face-to-face classes include:

Plumber’s Helper (Energy Saving Faucets, Dual Flush and High Efficency Toilets, Efficient Showerheads and Washing Machines, Hot Water Line Insulation, Hot Water Circulators, Tankless Water Heaters)
Eletrician’s Helper(Flourescent v. Incandescent, Air Movement, Window and Exterior Door Ratings, Insulationg and Caulking of Windows and Doors, and Attic Insulation),
HVAC and Refrigeration Technician’s Assistant (Equipment Performance Analysis, Determining Equipment Energy Consumption, Load Calculations for Equipment Selection, Installation practices for proper system installation).

STC also offers many online certificate programs, listed under Sustainable Energy and Going Green, including:

Biofuel Production Operations
Building Analyst Quick Start
Certified Green Supply Chain Professional
Certified Indoor Air Quality Manager
Certified Indoor Environmentalist
Natural Gas Plant Operations
Performing Comprehensive Building Assessments
Principles of Green Buildings
Senior Certified Sustainability Professional
Solar Power Professional
Wind Energy Professional

Sustainability in Campus Operations

STC has also been making steady progress on greening their operations. The Go-Green Project has targeted greening IT operations including digitizing payroll as well as expanding and promoting the use of JagMail, online tuition statements, and other online services available via JagNet.

STC strives to design/engineer each construction project to include up to date systems that help improve efficiency in use of energy. The college has included in its master plan the design and construction of Central Thermal Energy Plants for two of its five campuses to reduce energy consumption. Currently these two campuses operate on a combination of HVAC systems. By re-adapting both campus facilities to operate from one Central Thermal Energy Thermal Plant system, improvements will be made on the efficiency and sustainability for use of energy. Opportunities during the design and construction of these projects, and other future projects, will be made available to students enrolled in related academic programs for hands on training. Students learn, and the whole campus benefits!

Wind Power Delivery System, Jorge A. Garcia
Solar Fundamentals, Jorge A. Garcia
Air Conditioning System Design, Guadalupe Hernandez

Alamo Colleges

The Alamo Colleges has also been an early partner of the Greenforce® Initiative and have actively supported initiatives through the Mission Verde program. The Alamo Colleges was also a founding campus in I-35 Green Corridor Collaborative in 2009 through which the colleges shared curricula, faculty training and other resources to eliminate duplication and speed up the expansion of “green” education in Texas.

Sustainability in the Curriculum

The Alamo Colleges offer a wide array of green economy classes. The Green Jobs Training Institute currently offers nine programs:

Weatherization & Construction Skills
Courses: Green Building Basics, Weatherization (Part 1), Weatherization (Part 2), Blueprint Reading and Measurement, Occupational/Construction Safety, Basic Carpentry, Methods of Construction, and Green Entrepreneurial Skills
Vocational ESL Weatherization & Construction Skills
- Courses:Vocational English as a Second Language (VESL) for Green Construction, Green Building Basics, Weatherization (Part 1), Weatherization (Part 2), Blueprint Reading and Measurement, OSHA/Hazwoper, Basic Carpentry, Methods of Construction, and Green Entrepreneurial Skills (15 and 30 hour courses)
Energy Rater & Entrepreneurship
- Certified Energy Rater (64 hours), and Green Entrepreneurial Skills
Energy Rater & Weatherization Specialist
- Green Building Basics, Weatherization (Part 1), Weatherization (Part 2), Certified Energy Rater, Occupational/Construction Safety, Introduction to Asbestos Abatement, and Introduction to Lead Abatement
Green Professional Real Estate Inspector
- Introduction to Real Estate Inspection, Advanced Techniques (parts a, b, and c), and Experience Training Module
Green Real Estate Basic Inspector & Energy Rater
- Introduction to Real Estate Inspection, Advanced Techniques (part a), Certified Energy Auditor, Green Building Basics, Green Entrepreneurial Skills, Occupational/Construction Safety, Introduction to Asbestos Abatement, and Introduction to Lead Abatement
Solar Panel Installer & Building Performance Specialist
- Solar Photovoltaic Installer, Weatherization (Part 1), Weatherization (Part 2), and Certified Energy Auditor
Solar Panel Installer and Entrepreneurship
- Green Building Basics, Solar Photovoltaic Installer, OSHA/Hazwoper, Green Entrepreneurial Skills, and Occupational/Construction Safety
Weatherization & Solar Panel Installer
- Green Building Basics, Solar Photovoltaic Installer, Weatherization (Part 1), Weatherization (Part 2), Occupational/Construction Safety, Introduction to Asbestos Abatement, and Introduction to Lead Abatement

Additional opportunities are also offered for continuing education through the following classes:
Certified Arborist, Green Housekeeper, Electric Car Conversion, Solar Panel Installer, Interiorscaping and “Green” Interior Design, Green Building Basics, Weatherization (Part 1), Weatherization (Part 2), Certified Energy Auditor, and Green Entrepreneurial Skills

The St. Phillips campus also offers:

Power Generation and Alternative Energy A.A.S (2926)
Advanced Water Treatment A.A.S

Sustainability in Campus Operations

The Alamo Colleges are a signatory to the American Colleges and Universities President’s Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). As part of the ACUPCC, all of the colleges in the district have completed greenhouse gas inventories and climate action plans. The inventories and action plans can be viewed at the ACUPCC website.

The Alamo Colleges have also been an integral partner in getting the Mesa Verde Sustainability Plan for the city of San Antonio underway, and the Mission Verde Center is a cutting edge program leading several green curriculum initiatives. The Mission Verde Center secured $1,000,000 of the City of San Antonio’s energy efficiency and conservation block grant funds toward energy improvements at the Mission Verde Center. A comprehensive energy audit of the facility is being conducted to locate opportunities for advanced energy efficiency technologies. In addition, a comprehensive water audit is being conducted to establish the baseline for water efficiency retrofits. San Antonio utilities, CPS Energy and San Antonio Water System, plan to demonstrate and evaluate smart grid components, advanced electric and water meters, renewable generation sources and water conservation techniques on the campus.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE PARTNERS

Alamo Colleges
Houston Community College (Houston, Texas)
Laredo Community College (Laredo, Texas)
Lone Star Colleges (The Woodlands, Texas)
San Antonio College (San Antonio, Texas)
South Texas College (McAllen, Texas)

The following Texas Greenforce® Initiative partners were awarded innovation grants to advance their efforts in the areas of green workforce development and campus sustainability.