MCC Offers "Green" Class
By: Katrina Irwin
Updated: January 14, 2011
With cold temperatures around us, many are looking for ways to keep the heat on high and heating costs low. At MCC there's a very popular class that is teaching students how to run heating systems in a green way.
At MCC'S energy management class, students are learning all about the heating and air conditioning business.
"They're estimating that by the year or up to the year of 2018 there will be a 40 percent increase in demand for jobs in this field," says Kevin French the Department Chair for Applied Technologies. That high demand is in part due to a growing desire to go green.
French adds, "We are the one discipline that is closely tied to the green economy. When you think about energy efficiency, when you think about weatherization, when you think about finding alternative forms of energy to do what we do it's peaked a lot of interest in the discipline."
The curriculum is constantly being changed to keep up with what the industry needs.
Some students here already have jobs lined up for when they graduate. "A lot of these bigger companies nowadays are focusing on going green because it's going to save them money and it's going to save the environment. Everything I was taught here I can actually use out in the field and it has been wonderful," says student Bryn Higley.
"This has always been an interesting field for me- to learn about solar power and all the different aspects of how to save energy around the country. Especially being in our field you have to know the innovations, otherwise you'll get passed up in the field," says student Anthony Mitrovits.
The class is offered at MCC's Applied Technologies Campus and it's so popular they're going to be offering it again next semester.
