Last Updated on March 22, 2022 by Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo Region
KOKOMO, Ind. – Solar energy, one of the fastest growing industries in America today, is coming to north central Indiana with several major projects already approved. Ivy Tech Community College will be offering one-week classes aimed at preparing people for the construction jobs that will result.
“Work is beginning on the Hardy Hills Solar Project in Clinton County, a project that will employ hundreds of people over the next year and a half,” said Katie Loman, Ivy Tech’s employer consultant for the Kokomo Service Area. “Construction jobs at the site will pay $20 and more per hour and will include healthcare benefits. The one-week class through Ivy Tech Kokomo is required to be considered for employment.”
Ivy Tech is working with Local 873 of the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) and WorkOne West Central to prepare students for the project that is designed to generate 195 megawatts of power upon completion. The project, being constructed near the town of Kilmore, will cover 1,800 acres with about half a million solar panels.
Loman said the first class is set to begin March 28 with plans to start a new class each week to meet the demands for employees. There are no pre-requisites; experience in the electrical industry is helpful but not required. Grant funding is available to pay tuition for those who qualify.
Each class will meet Monday through Thursday from 2 to 8 p.m. on the Ivy Tech Kokomo Campus at 1815 E. Morgan St. Ivy Tech instructors will introduce students to construction safety, basic electrical and photovoltaic principals and the basic tools used in the solar industry as well as in the workforce readiness skills sought by employers. Successful completion of the course will include certification in the OSHA 10 construction safety program.
“Education for our workers is key – key to safety, key to professionalism and key to productivity,” said Mike Young, business manager of IBEW 873. “Our customers deserve it.”
For registration and additional information, contact Bonnie Devers, program manager in Ivy Tech Kokomo’s Career Coaching & Employer Connections division, at bdevers3@ivytech.edu or (765) 252-5497.
SOURCE: News release from Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo Region