Vrtol was recently named the new community college and technical school sub-chairman for the American Wind Energy Association’s Education Working Group. AWEA is a national trade association that promotes wind energy around the world. In this volunteer position, Vrtol will help AWEA develop introductory workforce training programs, develop standardized curriculum guidelines for one-year and two-year programs, and certify community colleges that offer wind energy training programs.

Vrtol brings to the position years of experience in the field and in the classroom. Before he became lead instructor for Highland’s Wind Technician Training program, he was a technician and development manager for several Illinois wind farms for seven years. It was chance and determination that led Vrtol to a career in wind technology. Before he got into the industry, he had been an electronics technician at a large department store chain.

“I was heading down I-39 and we drove past the wind farms in Paw Paw. When I saw the towers, they captivated me. I told my wife I’d love to be able to do that. I made phone call after phone call, and six months later the door finally opened,” Vrtol said.

One of the reasons he moved into education was because there were no programs nearby to train technicians when he went into the industry. So, in 2009, he was instrumental in developing the first Illinois wind turbine technician associate’s degree program at Highland.

Dean of Business and Technology Scott Anderson said the college is excited about Vrtol’s new position with AWEA. “He has worked diligently to build relationships in the field of wind energy and this appointment is proof of the success of those efforts,” Anderson said.

In July 2010, Highland, in partnership with Northern Illinois University, was awarded a three-year, $898,000 National Science Foundation grant to develop mobile training modules for technical and community colleges throughout the nation.

For more information on AWEA, visit www.awea.org.

Courtesy of The Journal-Standard. Copyright 2011. Some rights reserved