Cascadia Community College’s Continuing Education program recently received a grant from the Workforce Development Council Snohomish County (WDCSC) to offer residential energy audit training to people who are currently unemployed. Students who complete the certificate will gain skills that will help them move into the expanding green job market more quickly as the economy recovers.

The curriculum combines intensive classroom instruction and field work to teach students the principles and techniques of residential energy auditing. The field work focuses on student participation in energy audits using industry-standard equipment like blower doors and infrared cameras. The coursework will also help prepare students for the Building Performance Institute certification exams for building analyst professional and building envelope professional.

“The combination of classroom instruction and field work provides a great opportunity for students to use the tools and get hands-on experience. We are excited to continue our partnership with the WDCSC and help dislocated workers in Snohomish and King counties upgrade their job skills and move back into the workforce quickly,” says Director of Continuing Education Ray Kubista.

Students who meet the eligibility requirements of the grant for residential energy audit training will have their course fees, books, parking and certification exam fee paid for by the grant. The WDCSC awarded grants through a competitive bid process with funding from the federal government’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The program starts on March 31 and ends in mid-May. To learn more about the certificate and qualification requirements, contact the Continuing Education office at (425) 352-8862 or conted@cascadia.edu.

With assistance from grants through the WDCSC, Cascadia’s Continuing Education program has already offered a Business Intelligence with SQL Server 2008 certificate program for unemployed workers. The program filled to capacity in fall and winter quarters.