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As we all know, a tremendous amount of federal dollars has been allotted to communities through the stimulus package for weatherization. As a construction trades teacher, I began to wonder why this money was specifically set aside and how do I teach these skills to my students, so that they can benefit from this emerging career area.
In the last year, over 8,000 jobs have been created in weatherization, including the industry that provides equipment for these technicians. The training and certification for these technicians will be another emerging field in career and technical education.
As teachers, we need to have the equipment available to use, but some of this equipment is very pricey. With school budget issues, I’ve been working with other teachers to write grants to help purchase items such as Thermal Imaging Cameras, Door Blowers, and Hygrometers. With the purchases of this equipment, I plan to have a scale model of an older home in my classroom so students can try different procedures with the equipment, develop a plan to improve the energy efficiency, implement the plan on the model, and conduct a test to compare the data.
The applications for scientific, mathematical, technical and engineering analysis are tremendous. I see a new service industry evolving, and my students will have the edge with a future job in the industry due to their experience in the classroom. I love the challenge of identifying new careers and developing training aides and curriculum for my students. Business and industry professionals in this area should consider adopting a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program in your community in order to help them find workers to meet the demands of the industry.
