LANSING – State Representative Terry Brown (D-Pigeon) today announced a plan to invest $100,000 each in Huron and Tuscola Intermediate School Districts to help prepare students for jobs in the renewable energy industry. The state educational funding will help both districts provide engineering and science programs conducted in partnership with local renewable energy facilities such as wind farms and biomass or ethanol plants.
"Our young people are excited about the growth of renewable energy in the Thumb and across Michigan, and this plan will give them a head start on the training they need to work in this rapidly expanding industry," said Brown, who is a member of the House Energy and Technology Committee. "Investing in these programs ensures that our students will be qualified to take advantage of the growing opportunities in wind, biofuels and other renewables right here in the Thumb. It will also help our schools continue to produce a well-educated, technologically advanced workforce that will attract the highest-quality job providers to our communities."
Brown, who is also a member of the Education Committee and worked for more than two decades in the Huron County Intermediate School District before becoming a legislator, said his plan reflects today's new three R's of education: Relationships, Rigor and Relevance.
"This initiative helps students connect with highly skilled, successful workers and promotes high math and science standards," Brown said. "And whether it is the wind farm in Huron County or the ethanol plant in Tuscola County, all we have to do is look out our windows to see that the renewable energy field is relevant. This investment will help our schools further integrate renewable energy into their curriculum. Our students will be able to land good-paying jobs in this globally expanding industry and local companies will have the high-quality, local workers they need."