"These courses are a terrific opportunity for engineers to learn about cutting edge hybrid and battery technology as part of the Green Jobs Initiative," said Granholm. "We want our experienced engineers to have the opportunity to obtain the latest skills to fill future high-tech jobs as we diversify the economy and become a leader in the emerging green global economy."

DELEG oversees the  Michigan   Green Jobs Initiative (GJI), which is designed to ensure the emerging industries and green economy have the trained workers they need to grow and prosper. In response to the rapid growth in the renewable energy sector, DELEG collaborated with automotive manufacturing employers to establish the MAGM. This initial course offering is aimed at incumbent auto engineers, however unemployed workers who meet the pre-requisites may also be eligible.

"The Michigan Academy for Green Mobility is the first Green Sector Skills Alliance created and we're looking forward to more partnerships as part of the Governor's Green Jobs Initiative," said DELEG Director Stanley "Skip"  P   russ.  "  Michigan has an advantage in the emerging green economy because of our talent and automotive history so we want to make sure our workers are ready for these new opportunities."

Driven by the needs of the employers, MAGM is administered by a governing board made up of employers, education and training providers, the workforce development system, and state government.  The academy was developed to deliver rapid skill growth in green technology solutions for advanced mobility to meet industry needs.  Its objective is to prepare individuals for emerging technologies in vehicle propulsion, component design, manufacturing, and maintenance. 

"This marks a big step forward in developing an engineering workforce with the specific knowledge and skills to design and manufacture automobiles for the 21st century," said Sean M. Newell, chair of the academy's governing board.

The Academy is offered under the Governor's No Worker Left Behind, an ambitious plan to train 100,000 citizens in three years for jobs in high demand occupations and emerging industries of entrepreneurial endeavors. By reorganizing and augmenting federal funds currently used for workforce development,    NWLB  will provide up to two years of free tuition at any Michigan community college, university, or other approved training program for qualifying participants. As of June 30, 2009 , more than 81,667 people have been put into NWLB training.

Here is a summary of the courses:

Michigan   Technological University

- Offering an advanced vehicle technologies taught in southeastern  Michigan  . The 3-credit class is offered in cooperation with the Engineering Society of Detroit and AVL , a developer of powertrains and vehicle simulation and test systems. The curriculum focuses on engineering skills that apply to next-generation hybrid and electric vehicles, such as the Chevy Malibu and Volt and the Ford Escape, with an emphasis on battery design and hands-on learning. The Engineering Society of Detroit is accepting applications from prospective students. Enrollment is limited; preference will be given to applications received by Aug. 19. The semester-long class begins Sept. 3. The course will be offered again in the spring semester. For more information on the course, Advanced P ropulsion for Hybrid Vehicles with Concentration in Battery Engineering, or to apply, visit http://ww2.esd.org/EDUCATION/2009-09-FreeTraining.htm   or call 248-353-0735.

Wayne   State University

-   Offering a 4 credit graduate course level class in Advanced Battery Systems for Hybrid Electric Vehicles. The course will be team-taught by WSU engineering faculty, HEV engineers from Delphi and A&D Technology, Inc., and battery scientists from Ovonic Battery.  Bachelor of Science in Engineering or similar physical sciences area is required. Curriculum focuses in-vehicle electric energy storage systems,   Battery system development and design for hybrid electric vehicles The laboratories include WSU's Vehicular Electronic Lab and Hybrid P ower Systems Lab, and Macomb Community College 's ( MCC ) Automotive Technology Laboratory.  MCC is also providing five HEVs for the experiments. The class will begin meeting Sept 7 for 4 hours per week for 14 weeks, including 10 weeks (40 hours) for lectures and 4 weeks (16 hours) for laboratory experiments.  The course will be also be offered for spring semester. For more information about this course, visit the websites at College of Engineering :  www.eng.wayne.edu or Wayne State University :  www.wayne.edu The contact is: C P Yeh, chair, Division of Engineering Technology, Wayne State University , 313-577-0800, yeh@eng.wayne.edu.

Interested students are encouraged to contact the universities directly for eligibility requirements or more information.

Read more releases from the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth