2 Sets Of Solar Energy Students To Graduate From Rowan College At Burlington County Thursday

Two classes of students majoring in solar energy will graduate from Rowan College at Burlington County this week.

Rowan College at Burlington County’s first Solar Ready Vets program graduates, and the third graduating class of the college’s Women in Sustainable Employment (WISE) program, will be celebrated on Thursday, Jan. 12 at the Enterprise Center in Mount Laurel, the college said this week.

The programs provided free training to military members transitioning out of the service and women to prepare them for new careers in energy and construction industries. They are offered through the college’s Workforce Development Institute.

Eleven students from Solar Ready Vets, which was developed by the U.S. Department of Energy, will graduate in a ceremony at 1 p.m. in the Enterprise Center, room 144.

At 3:30 p.m. in room 135, 12 women will graduate from the college’s third WISE class. WISE prepares women for nontraditional employment opportunities in energy and construction industries.

The graduates from the Solar Ready Vets program are all military members from either the Army, Air Force or Navy who are preparing to enter civilian life.

“These military members who are transitioning out the service are uniquely qualified for new careers in the growing field of solar energy because of the hands-on training they received at Rowan College at Burlington County and the technical and interpersonal skills they gained in the service,” Burlington County Freeholder Ryan Peters, a former Navy SEAL and current Lieutenant Commander in the Naval Reserve, said. Peters will attend the graduation ceremony for the service members.

New Jersey is one of the top 20 solar job states, according to the Solar Foundation. A Solar Energy Industries Association’s report also found that New Jersey was the fourth largest “Solar State” based on cumulative solar electric capacity installed.

The six-week Solar Ready Vets program prepared participants for the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners Entry Level Exam and solar-related jobs like photovoltaic (PV) system installers, sales representatives, and system inspectors. They will also have the opportunity to meet with 14 different solar energy employer partners.

“The Solar Ready Vets Program is a really great opportunity,” Col. Frederick D. Thaden, 87th Air Base and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst commander, said. “JB MDL is one of only 10 bases nationwide that hosts this program. Solar Ready Vets is a fantastic opportunity for our service members because the program provides the high-quality training needed to confidently transition from military duty into the civilian work force. Through SRV, our veterans gain knowledge, marketable skills, and an opportunity for a successful future.”

Thaden will join College President Paul Drayton, Solar Ready Vets Program Manager from the U.S. Department of Energy Stephanie Kline and Solar Ready Vets graduate U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant Steven Gatchell as guest speakers during the ceremony.

To learn more about the Solar Ready Vets program, visit gomdl.com/solar-ready-vets. The next Solar Ready Vets class starts at Rowan College at Burlington County on Monday, March 6. This class will be open to military members transitioning out of the service, honorably discharged veterans, as well as civilians.

The WISE program introduces women to positions that include mechanic, laborer, plant operator, carpenter and meter reader.

“More than a third of our graduates from the first and second WISE programs have new careers with leading utility companies,” Drayton said. “The program is a successful example of Rowan College at Burlington County’s, and the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholder’s, shared vision of public and private partnerships that will benefit the community by providing students with in-demand skills and companies with a prepared workforce.”

WISE is supported by a partnership among the college, Burlington County Workforce Development Board, PSEG, New Jersey American Water, South Jersey Gas, Atlantic City Electric, The Sisters in the Brotherhood – Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters, and New Jersey Resources, a natural gas provider in northern and central New Jersey.

The WISE graduation ceremony will also feature remarks from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Commissioner Diane Solomon, Burlington County Freeholder Linda Hughes and Mount Laurel Councilman Kurt Folcher.

Interested WISE participants are encouraged to attend an information session. For more information on the WISE program or to register for an information session, contact Linda Bobo of the Rowan College at Burlington County Workforce Development Institute at lbobo@rcbc.edu or 856-222-9311, ext. 2535.

The attached image was provided by Rowan College at Burlington County