Lorain County Community College now offers 'wind turbine' major

Within 10 years, President Barack Obama hopes to create five million "green" jobs. A group of local students believes sixty of those jobs will belong to them.

That's because they are the first class of wind turbine majors enrolled at Lorain County Community College.

The students signed up for the program for different reasons. Some were seeking a career that they can feel good about.

"We can't keep destroying everything. We need to be self-sufficient," explained student Noah Rasor. Others were looking for steady work they can count on.

"I need one full-time job," said Cindy Keener.

Earlier this fall, Noah, Cindy and about five dozen other students signed up for Ohio's very first associate's degree in wind turbine power generation.

"Everyone here has an interest in green energy and everyone wants to do something significant," said Duncan Estep, coordinator of LCCC's Alternative Energy Program.

For the next two years, the students will earn how to install and maintain wind turbines, ranging in size from 50 feet tall to over 300 feet tall.

"The student who graduates will have a two-year degree. It's stackable. They can go on to a four-year degree. They can go to work for a company that installs wind turbines right out of the chute," Estep explained.

Noah Rasor is interested in alternative energy, not just as a career but as a way of life for himself. He is using LCCC's own "fab lab" to design and build his own small wind turbine.

He will use it to power his barn. "I've got four lightbulbs in the barn and I hope to have a battery back-up and at least take the barn off the grid," Rasor explained.

Forty-eight students signed up for the major. In addition to those 48 spots, LCC offered 13 spots for men and women who have seen their previous careers evaporate in the current economy.

Grandmother Cindy Keener left the automotive industry a few years ago and, since then, has worked numerous part-time jobs. She's looking for a career with more stability, and one that will benefit her three grandchildren.

"Like most of us, I want to find a regular full-time job. So I hope to be a part of the growing field and doing something that I believe in," Keener explained.

These students can expect to earn $17 to $20 dollars an hour starting out in their careers. They can earn even more if they continue with advanced degrees.

By the year 2030, wind could provide 20 percent of the U.S. with electricity, according to a U.S. Department of Energy study, and the industry would support half a million jobs.