TCIE Drives SUNY Efforts to Prepare Clean Energy Workforce

Historically, State University of New York schools have largely operated in siloes in regard to renewable energy education. But the scenario is changing, thanks to a SUNY initiative and an extra push from the UB Center for Industrial Effectiveness (TCIE).

Communications between 10 institutions — from community colleges to research universities — is widening and collaborations are mounting, resulting in new online clean energy courses and a website highlighting SUNY’s energy education pathways.

The group’s formation began with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s Climate Jobs NY initiative. Nearly a dozen SUNY campuses received a two-year Performance Improvement Fund grant to implement clean energy workforce proposals in support of New York’s climate change efforts.

Performance Improvement Fund recipients are required to attend a biannual Community of Practice meeting specific to their specialty area. The intention is to establish mutual goals, foster shared resources and best practices, and work toward collective outcomes.

The first session sparked murmurs of “I’m working on something similar. Why aren’t we talking?” TCIE took the lead in continuing the conversation beyond SUNY’s meetings by hosting monthly calls and organizing campus visits to view labs and equipment.

“It’s great to be working together instead of just reporting out to each other,” says Jennifer Flagg, TCIE project director.

For example, TCIE has leveraged the group to create online courses that are available on Coursera. These include converting SUNY Erie solar photovoltaic technology curricula into a three-part series on Solar Energy for Engineers, Architects and Code Inspectors. The center also devised Renewable Energy: Fundamentals and Job Opportunities, in conjunction with experts from Alfred State College, SUNY Buffalo State, SUNY Canton, SUNY Erie, Farmingdale State College and SUNY Polytechnic Institute.

Engineering Technology Professor Ilya Grinberg (far right) in SUNY Buffalo State’s Smart Grid Laboratory. From left are Timothy Leyh of TCIE, John Williams of Alfred State College, and Jennifer Flagg and Gary Simon of TCIE.