TMCnews Featured Article

The University of Colorado at Boulder announced that the U.S. Department of Energy has awarded it $2.4 million in Recovery Act funding for building a smart grid workforce training program.

With the help of this funding, the university will be able to build an engineering graduate program focused on smart grid technologies, which will focus on networking, wireless communications, and cyber security within electric power systems. Colorado hopes to receive at least $6.7 billion in Recovery Act funds through more than 100 different programs.

Students seeking a full master of science degree or a shorter certificate will find the academic program offered by the University of Colorado to be especially useful, and will be able to flexibly complete the program on-campus or from anywhere online.

Steven Chu, secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy announced these award selections for approximately $100 million for 54 smart grid workforce training programs. All these programs are aimed at helping in preparation of the next generation of workers in the utility and electrical manufacturing industries, who will help to modernize the nation's electrical grid and implement smart grid technologies in communities across the country.

A funding of over $95 million will be leveraged from community colleges, universities, utilities and manufacturers for development and implementation of these training programs, which will train approximately 30,000 Americans according to an estimate.

These award selections support two types of workforce training initiatives. The first initiative is "Development and Enhancement of Workforce Training Programs for the Electric Power Sector," under which 33 projects have been selected to receive $41.6 million in Recovery Act funds. The initiative aims at development of new training programs, strategies and curricula related to the electric power sector and the smart grid. These new programs include projects at universities, community colleges and technical schools that will help serve as models for training or retraining workers across the country.

The second initiative is "Smart Grid Workforce Training," under which 21 projects have been selected to receive $57.7 million in Recovery Act Funds for conducting workforce training programs for new hires, which include displaced workers and military veterans; and retraining programs for electric utility workers and electrical equipment manufacturers so that they are able to have a better knowledge of smart grid technologies and their implementation.  

January 2010, banks that operate ATMs in the University of Colorado's student center made it possible for those with visual impairments to use the machines, in response to a legislation passed by student leaders.