“Building a Robust Workforce in Electric Power Engineering – Democratizing Technical Education Nationally”

A lecture by Ned Mohan, Regents Professor, National Academy of Engineering, Fellow: IEEE and Faculty in Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Minnesota

In this colloquium, we will discuss the following question: 

How can we quickly build a robust workforce in electric power engineering to combat climate change through clean energy, EVs, etc. by home-grown manufacturing, utilizing hundreds of billions of dollars in public investments, which is a once in a lifetime opportunity? We need hundreds of thousands of such engineers in the next five years while the enrollments in power-related courses are sharply declining nationwide.

One such approach is to prepare students so they can join industry after graduating from high schools in just 2-1/2 years - two years to get their Associate degree from a nearby community college, and an additional one-half year to earn a Certificate in Electric Power Engineering. 

Courses should provide a hands-on experience by means of very low-cost labs and be supported by textbooks. It will require a collaborative effort, for example, one-hundred or more consortiums, an average of two per state, each led by a university that reaches out to 4-5 regional community colleges, that in turn reach out to local industry for their support.

We will discuss this approach that will democratize technical education: bringing it to tribal and rural communities who otherwise would not have access to it, and to historically and systemically marginalized urban communities who otherwise do not see a pathway out of poverty and are priced out of traditional technical education options. This will lead to diversity, equity, and inclusion in its truest and the broadest sense, where no one is left out!

Refreshments will be served immediately following the colloquium.

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