College Of The Desert Gets Green To Go Green

PALM DESERT – College of the Desert is getting some green to turn the valley greener.

“We’re very excited,” says Larry McLaughlin, the school’s director of advanced transportation technology and energy. “We have some great plans.”

Through the California Clean Energy Workforce Training Program, COD received more than $815,000 to train workers for green jobs.

“Jobs are being created in renewable energy and we want to make sure people have the skills so they can be prepared for these jobs,” says McLaughlin.

McLaughlin says renewable energy projects will create about 25,000 local jobs over the next 10 years.

“It’s something I’d be interested in,” says COD student Brett Brown. “Things are going that way in the future so why not?”

The college will offer free classes to unemployed or laid off workers, giving them a chance to grow their future while helping meet our growing energy needs.

COD is already practicing what they plan to teach. New buildings are being constructed to meet LEED standards and many will also have solar panels. This is just some of the renewable energy technology the college will teach our community.

“It will be short-term, intensive classes to get people trained as fast as possible,” says McLaughlin.

Throughout Riverside County, green energy sources are abundant from wind to geothermal and solar.

As that green energy industry grows, it can help our community solve its growing unemployment problem.

“We want to fill jobs as they are created,” says McLaughlin.

For more information on the renewable energy classes visit www.collegeofthedesert.edu