Over the last year, SJCC partnered with Strategic Energy Innovations and Kimberly Hui, a Climate Corps fellow, to start a new internship program, update the Electrician program and create a new non-credit introductory course on energy.

Hui started the Energize Colleges Internship Program at SJCC with faculty member Jonathan Cronan and Dr. Lena Tran, vice president of the Business and Workforce Development Division.

Hui built new partnerships with local industry companies: ECS Design, Inc., Hussey Bros., IRBIS HVAC and POCO Solar Energy Inc.

Five students were hired for the internships with a focus on energy efficiency and teaching the students new tangible and transferable skills. This internship program made it easier for students to access full-time, well-paying and fulfilling energy efficiency-related careers that match their interests. Congrats to the students who were chosen for the internships!

Hui and Cronan collaborated to create a new independent and succinct Electrician academic program and a new non-credit course called “Fundamentals of Energy Efficiency.” To create a new Electrician program, Hui and Cronan created three new courses that cover the National Electrical Code, blueprint reading and rigging, and low voltage specialty systems. The new Electrician program will make it easier to find classes and learn relevant material to pass the Electrician certification exam.

“Fundamentals of Energy Efficiency” is a non-credit course that will teach students how electricity is created and transported, define renewable energy, energy efficiency and conservation and describe career opportunities in energy efficiency.

This will be an engaging, dynamic non-credit course where students can learn a lot and practice relevant skills in lab activities, such as energy auditing.

Keep a lookout for the new non-credit course and enroll to learn more about the importance of energy!

These sustainability initiatives wouldn’t have been possible without the local partners who believed in our students and from funding by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), thank you. For more information on the Climate Corps Fellowship Program,visit Climate Corps website.

Kimberly Hui is Energize Colleges Program coordinator at San Jose City College and a Climate Corps fellow.