The NC Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) has begun a partnership with online education provider ed2go to offer 12 new online training courses – which are on-demand, ongoing and offered indefinitely.

The new NCCETC ed2go courses cover a variety of topics including wind energy, HVAC/R, home inspections, indoor air quality, indoor environmentalist prep, LEED, welding and an HVAC course offered in Spanish. 

• Certified Indoor Air Quality Manager
• Certified Indoor Environmentalist Prep
• Home Inspection Certificate
• HVAC/R Certified Technician (Advanced)
• HVAC/R Simulations for Field Technicians
• HVAC/R Technician (Entry-level)
• HVAC/R Controls/Building Automation Systems
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
• Programa de Certificado de Conocimiento Básico de HVACR NATE Core
• Welder Technician
• Maintenance Technician
• Engineering Technician

Like NCCETC’s current training classes, the curriculum for each ed2go class has been created by industry experts and can lead to credentials and certifications.

“After demoing some ed2go classes we were interested in offering, I knew that this would be a great partnership and that the classes would be a natural fit into our existing training program,” said Megan Berry, Senior Clean Energy Training Specialist at NCCETC. “These are quality, high caliber courses that expand our offerings to further meet the needs of a growing renewable energy and energy efficiency workforce.”

Some courses in ed2go’s Construction, Environmental and Energy, and Trades categories offered through NCCETC will prepare students for nationally, and some even internationally industry-recognized certifications, including: USGBG (US Green Building Council), ACAC (American Council for Accredited Certification), NATE (North American Technician Excellence); HVAC Excellence; and the EPA 608 certification.

“Ed2go courses prepare students to sit for industry-recognized certifications, which are often required for employment in many of today’s in-demand careers,” said Jennifer Jacobs, Account Manager with ed2go. “These courses will help enrich, advance skills, and advance career pathways for NCCETC students.”

 

Ed2go, founded in 1997, has a catalog offering more than 750 online continuing education courses, with more than 40 industry specialties and more than 150 certifications available. The education provider has partnered with over 2,000 academic institutions, more than 80 corporations, and over 100 workforce agencies. It has reached learners in all 50 states and more than 16 countries.

“Ed2go allows academic partners to expand their continuing education offerings with a turnkey solution that better supports the needs of their communities,” Jacobs said. “By partnering with ed2go, NCCETC can deliver relevant content to learners that want to acquire the specific skills through a recognized leader in clean energy.”

The new ed2go classes include courses NCCETC has never offered before, such as HVAC training, home inspection certification, and more.

“Most of the courses we offer now are solar-focused, and we wanted to expand our offerings to include course topics that are in-demand and fill skills gaps, such as green building and energy efficiency,” Berry said. “By offering training in different sectors, it allows people to build a program they’re really interested in taking and puts them on the path to fulfill their career goals.”

Berry said she is excited about the flexibility of the ongoing, open enrollment and on-demand courses.

“This flexibility is extremely important for continuing education and professional development courses, especially for people working in different states or countries, or with priorities that keep them from sitting in a traditional classroom setting,” Berry said. 

“Flexibility can be a great equalizer in education,” Jacobs said. “Millions of adult learners seek learning opportunities outside of a traditional degree path, which is why we offer career training and professional development via an online platform.”

 

Jacobs said ed2go is happy to partner with NCCETC.

“We pride ourselves on creating relevant training for in-demand industries,” Jacobs said. “Partnering with NCCETC provides a unique opportunity to help build a skilled workforce in the clean energy sector.”

Learn more about Ed2go here, and learn more about NCCETC training courses here.