Oregon Green Technology

The Oregon Green Technology certificate will prepare entry-level employees with the foundation skills needed in a variety of industries that are associated with or support green jobs. While it may ultimately be adopted statewide, the Oregon Green Tech certificate is being designed to meet the unique needs of rural Oregon, where companies tend to be smaller, many occupations may have only one or two local job openings, and employers need workers who have basic technical skills that can transfer to different kinds of work and work settings as employer requirements and labor market demands shift. Please contact Jackie Grenz, at the Oregon Consortium, 541-928-0241, ext. 214, or at Jackie.g@tocowa.org, to determine whether you are eligible to enroll in this program.

Individuals who complete the one-year Green Tech certificate will:

  • be multi-skilled, systems thinkers and problem solvers.
  • be prepared for a broad array of green occupations across a variety of diverse industries, such as green energies production, equipment manufacturing (such as solar panel, wind turbine, wave energy, bio-energy component), construction and installation, monitoring and repair, building retro-fitting, process recycling, hazardous materials removal work and others.
  • have a fundamental understanding of sustainability, green technologies, process improvements/elimination of waste, and an overview of various careers in green tech.
  • be able to demonstrate the applied reading and workplace math skills needed on the job, as well as the workplace skills employers need: critical thinking, problem solving, team work, etc.
  • possess a unique set of entry-level electrical, mechanical, and heating/cooling systems skills - as taught through the lens of green energy and energy efficiency - that will allow graduates to learn quickly on the job and be prepared for success in advanced programs of study.

Training will be provided by 10 Oregon community colleges located in rural Oregon through a combination of online instruction, hands-on labs and, in some areas, work experience in the field. The core content will be 45 credits, depending on the level of general education courses offered and the number of specialty electives a student may take.

» View Oregon Green Technology requirements (pdf)