MNN - Mother Nature Network

As high-speed Internet has become widely available and relatively inexpensive, universities across the nation have been offering college courses online. The trend has continued to include trade schools and other specialized instruction opportunities.

 

While online learning isn’t for everyone, it is great for workers wanting to brush up on skills or those looking at a possible career switch.

 

According to a study published by the Pew Charitable Trusts, renewable energy jobs are on the rise. To help meet this increase in demand for workers trained in the clean energy industry, Sun Pirate is now offering two online solar industry training courses:  the Fundamentals of Solar Hot Water Heating and Photovoltaic System Design & Installation.

 

While the courses are a great starting point for entry-level workers, they are also designed to help prepare current clean energy professionals to take the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) certification test.  

 

The Fundamentals of Solar Hot Water Heating course costs $495 for the 11-week program. Students taking this course can qualify for 40 of the training hours required to take the NABCEP exam.

 

The Photovoltaic System Design & Installation is a bit more detailed; the 16-week program costs $595. Students taking this course will have met 60 of the training hours needed to sit for the NABCEP exam.

 

While online courses are a great way for people to obtain new skills, or brush up on existing ones, not everyone’s learning styles is cut out for online learning.  I’ve been taking online courses for years and I love the flexibility, however I’ve seen some classmates have difficulty with the lack of face-to-face interaction.

 

If you think online learning is a good fit for you and you’re interested in the online classes offered by Sun Pirate, registration is now open for classes that start on June 15.

 

Photo: Linda N.