In a recent press release, “The Lighting Controls Association (LCA), a council of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), has announced a new partnership with the California Community College System (CCCS) to educate tomorrow’s electrical workforce about energy-saving lighting controls throughout California.”

According to the announcement, the “CCCS is the largest system of higher education in the nation, with 2.1 million students attending 113 colleges.” This educational collaboration is intended to provide greater knowledge and skills training for the electrical contracting workforce as part of California’s larger goal of reducing energy usage and carbon emissions, particularly when it comes to lighting automation. The partnership was established by the South Orange County Community College District’s Irvine Valley College and will take advantage of LCA’s distance-education system, Education Express. This program provides “…more than 50 hours of free online instruction in lighting control technology, design, application and commissioning.” The classes are approved for, and can be counted toward continuing education requirements for, the American Institute of Architects, the National Council on Quality in the Lighting Professions (NCQLP), and the California Advanced Lighting Controls Training Program (CALCTP).

The LCA-CCCS arrangement will allow students and educators from participating collages access to the Education Express curriculum. The CCCS anticipates participation from up to 60 schools during this initial pilot phase. Students who complete the program will qualify for CALCTP and CALCTP-AT training and certification. “We are excited about this strategic partnership, which enhances our technical career education mission for both new students and the incumbent workforce,” said Corine Doughty, dean, Irvine Valley College. Gary Meshberg, chair of the LCA and director of sales for Encelium said, “We’re very excited about this new partnership with CCCS to educate tomorrow’s electrical workforce in California.”