Enel Green Power, operator of ten wind farms in Oklahoma announced it has partnered with North Oklahoma College in Tonkawa to restart a wind turbine technician program at the school.
At the same time, Enel established a scholarship in memory of a colleague to enable students to pursue a wind energy career.
Thirteen students are currently enrolled in an Introduction to Wind Energy course and other process technology courses as part of the program. Pending accreditation from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, anticipated in 2021, students who complete the curriculum will earn an Associate’s Degree in Process Technology with a wind energy concentration.
Graduates will be qualified for work as a wind turbine service technician, by far the fastest-growing occupation in Oklahoma with 64.5% projected growth from 2018-28.
“We are excited to collaborate with Enel Green Power for this partnership in wind energy in hopes to graduate more students and assist Oklahoma’s efforts to build the skilled workforce required to compete in today’s economy,” said Dr. Cheryl Evans, President of Northern Oklahoma College.
Enel Green Power representatives coordinated with college officials for over two years to re-establish the wind energy program at NOC. The company assisted in curriculum development, recruited and helped fund a program instructor, connected students with mentors and has facilitated instructional activities such as a virtual wind turbine tour.
“Oklahoma is a key state for Enel Green Power. With dozens of employees, ten wind farms and more projects on the way, we’re proud to do our part to help ensure Oklahoma has a strong, resilient workforce for the modern energy economy,” said Georgios Papadimitriou, Head of Enel Green Power in the US and Canada.
The scholarship was created in memory of colleague Tim Knutson who served as the senior manager of wind project integration at Enel Green Power North America at the time of his sudden passing on June 11, 2018. He was responsible for overseeing the development, engineering, construction, start-up and commissioning of all new wind projects in the US and Canada. He previously served as a regional operations manager for Enel, supervising a team of operations and maintenance employees for over 3,000 MW of wind assets.
“We hope this scholarship will help preserve his memory and instill his spirit of hard work and generosity in future generations of Oklahoma wind workers,” said Papadimitriou.
The Timothy Knutson Memorial Scholarship, newly established through the Northern Oklahoma College Foundation, Inc., is intended to provide two outstanding students in the NOC wind energy program with a $5,000 annual scholarship, which will cover the majority of tuition and fee expenses of one academic year.
In its inaugural year, all 13 students in the program will receive a $2,000 award. Through the partnership agreement, Enel will also provide a supplementary stipend for the program’s instructor for the 2020-21 school year to ensure students receive high-quality, dedicated instruction.
“We are very excited about working with our wind industry partners,” said Dr. Frankie Wood-Black, Division Chair, Engineering, Physical Science, and Process Technology. “This will allow our students to pursue additional process technology options, and continue to improve the critical work skills for those in our area.”
The NOC Foundation serves as a private fundraising organization for NOC, as designated by the NOC Board of Regents. Its primary purpose is to enhance the educational opportunities and the overall environment of NOC.
Northern Oklahoma College, the state’s first public community college serves nearly 5,000 students annually on the home campus in Tonkawa.