The Sempra Energy Foundation has awarded a $25,000 grant to Citrus College to train students within the Green Job field.
The foundation recently awarded $250,000 in scholarship grants to California community colleges that incorporated Citrus, San Diego City, Southwestern, Imperial, Riverside, Fullerton, Santa Ana Los Angeles Trade tech, Glendale, and Taft.
Sempra Energy based in San Diego is a key provider of natural gas and electricity whose subsidiaries incorporate Southern California Gas Company, San Diego Gas & Electric, Sempra Pipelines & Storage, and Sempra Generation.
Currently Sempra serves more than 29 million people and has 13,500 employees worldwide.
The scholarship foundation started in 2008, is seen as an investment within the company’s future and well-being.
“A large segment of the Sempra Energy workforce is nearing retirement and the company will soon need people with the necessary skills to replace these outgoing workers” said Dr. Kim Holland Citrus College director of Workforce Development.
In 2009 Citrus teamed up with Sempra for a Workforce summit presentation known as Greening of California.
The meeting brought together educators and politicians to discuss the topic of preparing college students for green jobs. Participants covered topics such as how to better prepare students for a green economy.
Citrus hosted Sempra representatives this year who toured the campus and observed several classes “ Sempra was very impressed with our programs and felt that we could help produce potential employees,” Holland said.
The grant will be divided among 25 students, each working towards an associate’s degree in various fields as heating and air conditioning, automotive technology and Energy Systems technology.
When a couple of Automotive students were asked what they would with the grant money if selected both agreed on one expense, tools.
“I would use it for tools, that’s what cost the most money and that’s what makes the money” said Eric M. Bracamontes a Citrus automotive technology student.
“Save most of it for anything I need” said Jonathan Garcia a Citrus student “maybe I would apply it to buy some tools,” Jonathan who commutes to Citrus from Fontana.
The selection will be dependent on student success like G.P.A. and Technical skill attainment.
As the need for more efficient Energy grows this field will continue to grow in large numbers over the years.
If a career from the green jobs is something you might be interested in please visit the Citrus College Career Development Center here on campus