05/23/11 kb/ks

HAYS, Kan. -- Flint Hills Technical College, Emporia, has become the first recipient of a grant from EnergyNET Kansas, which will fund online course development for a 36-credit-hour power plant technology education program.

EnergyNET, which is short for Energy Network of Education and Training, is a $1.6 million investment by the Kansas Department of Commerce and the Kansas Board of Regents to coordinate a network of public higher education institutions across the state in providing enhanced hybrid and online workforce training. Fort Hays State University coordinates and directs EnergyNET.

Flint Hills will receive $181,500 to develop 18 online highly interactive and simulation-based modules that will allow anyone across the state, region and country to receive the necessary education and training to apply for a position in the field of power plant operations. The college will work with instructional designers SchwindTEC Inc.

The grant will also purchase a dedicated server system for the program and expand bandwidth speed for users of the power plant operator online program at FHTC.

Flint Hills' Power Plant Operations Program offers a technical certificate and an associate's degree to train entry-level operators and maintenance technicians for the power plant generation industry. Developed in partnership with Westar Energy and Wolf Creek Nuclear Operations Center, the program is the only accredited regional post-secondary training program for the power generation industry, said Steve Harmon, director of the Business and Industry Training Center at FHTC.

"The Power Plant Technology Online program will be the first step in building and designing a flexible program that provides the stackable credentials needed for those applying to the industry," he said.

"Flint Hills Technical College is providing a comprehensive and accelerated learning program using industry-driven competencies and credentials," said Dr. Dean Hollenbeck, FHTC president. "We are excited to position FHTC to better meet the needs of the Kansas energy industry with the assistance of EnergyNET."

EnergyNET conducted an industry focus group at FHTC to learn about the workforce needs of the electric power industry.

"Industry representatives from power plants or those who train others to run power plants included Westar, Wolf Creek, KCP&L, Midwest Energy, Sunflower Electric and Kansas Municipal Utilities, which represents 119 local power plants across the state," said Mike Michaelis, EnergyNET director.

"We found that most will have about a 50-percent turnover in the next five years and a hundred-percent turnover in the next 10 years because of retirements," he said. "They need newly trained candidates with entry-level power plant skills to fill openings across the state."

"As an industry employer and partner," said Joe Drassen, manager of field and plant training for Westar Energy Inc., "we support the efforts of this program to offer a multi-track online, on-site and on-campus approach to providing high-demand, high-wage skills and credentials that will lead to employment in the Kansas energy industry. We recognize the current critical demand that will continue the next 10 years for entry-level professionals and operators in the energy generation industry."

The educational program comprises 18 separate courses such as Power Plant Fundamentals, Basic Technical Math and Physics, Basic Mechanics, and Basic Electricity in addition to courses on scaffolding, fuel and water chemistry, diesel equipment, rigging and lifting equipment, and basic computing courses.

"FHTC, the EnergyNET team and SchwindTEC are working to develop a nationally recognized and truly outstanding program that will give Kansans an opportunity to prepare for this high-demand, high-wage career field," said Harmon, adding that the program is endorsed and reviewed by Kansas power companies.

"We are very excited to bring this training to the state and region," he said.

Funding for EnergyNET comes from the federal Recovery Act and federal Carl D. Perkins funding.