EPCE News and Information
Energy Providers Coalition for Education & Thomas Edison State College Offer Online Bachelor Degree in Energy Utility Technology
Program Offered to Workers Nationwide to Help Energy Industry Meet Serious Labor Shortages Expected in the Next 15 Years
DENVER, CO (February 15, 2007) - The Energy Providers Coalition for Education (EPCE) has partnered with Thomas Edison State College to offer the nation's first online Bachelor of Science in Applied Science and Technology degree in Energy Utility Technology to new and incumbent workers nationwide to help the energy industry meet labor shortages expected over the next several years.
Industry forecasts indicate that approximately half the energy industry workforce will likely retire within the next 15 years. This, combined with a 45 percent increase in the national demand for electricity as estimated by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), has the many energy providers anticipating critical workforce shortages in the energy industry.
"We are excited to deliver this degree program at a time when workforce development is so critical to the industry," said Dr. Marcus Tillery, dean of the School of Applied Science and Technology at Thomas Edison State College, based in Trenton, N.J. "By aligning with EPCE, we are able to work directly with the majority of the country's electric utility industry, thereby maximizing the value of our programs. The college designed this program based directly on utility job requirements and will work closely with EPCE's industry membership in the development of our partnership."
Thomas Edison State College’s bachelor degree program in Energy Utility Technology will help prepare new workers to enter the industry and enable existing workers to advance their careers.
For EPCE, the program is a logical next step for students completing the coalition's initial degree program - the Associate of Applied Science degree in Electric Power Technology - launched in 2001 in partnership with Bismarck State College (BSC) in North Dakota.
"EPCE is actively working on solutions, in a collaborative manner, for the approaching workforce shortage,” said Eugene Jenkins, manager of EH&F and Training for Oklahoma Gas & Electric. “This is a key benefit of partnering as a coalition -- translating what would have been separate individual efforts into national industry-wide solutions."
Thomas Edison State College's Bachelor of Science in Applied Science and Technology program is an important part of EPCE's overall mission to support industry workforce development through quality online education.
The coursework for the energy utility technology degree is offered entirely online, as are all of EPCE's educational programs. This flexibility allows students to pursue their degree as their schedules allow, while balancing a full-time job and family life.
About EPCE: The Energy Providers Coalition for Education (EPCE) is an industry coalition with members from the broad spectrum of the energy industry. EPCE develops and sponsors industry-driven online education solutions for workforce development in the energy industry, from high school courses to associate's and bachelor's degrees. EPCE is managed by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), a non-profit organization based in Chicago and was initially funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Information about EPCE can be found at www.epceonline.org and about CAEL at www.cael.org.
About Thomas Edison State College: Thomas Edison State College provides flexible, high-quality, collegiate learning opportunities for self-directed adults. One of New Jersey's 12 senior public institutions of higher education, the College offers 16 associate, baccalaureate and master's degrees in more than 100 areas of study. Students earn degrees through a wide variety of rigorous and high-quality academic methods that can be customized to meet their individual needs. Identified by Forbes magazine as one of the top 20 colleges and universities in the nation in the use of technology to create learning opportunities for adults, Thomas Edison State College is a national leader in the assessment of adult learning and a pioneer in the use of educational technologies. The College is home to The John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy. The New Jersey State Library is an affiliate of Thomas Edison State College. For more information about the College, visit www.tesc.edu.