The Arizona Sun Corridor – Get Into Energy consortium worked with industry to develop a stackable credential model for programs of study in mining and energy at community colleges across the state. The model includes two foundational curriculum courses that can be taken concurrently and can typically be completed in just one semester. In the Career and Personal Development course students learn academic and workplace requirements, and the Energy Industry Fundamentals course covers required industry competencies. Upon students’ completion of these two fundamental courses, colleges help students select an occupational-specific pathway that can include classroom instruction along with on-the-job training, internships, or apprenticeships. The consortium highlights two key factors that contributed to their implementation of the stackable credential model: committed employer engagement, and sustainability as a common goal.

To learn more about the Arizona Sun Corridor – Get Into Energy’s common foundational curriculum, their stackable credential model, and the factors that contribute to their model, read Building a Common Foundational Curriculum with Stackable Credentials.

Deborah Richie serves as a member of the Transformative Change Initiative team at OCCRL. She has 25 years of experience as an administrator at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, including 10+ years as a dean at the Graduate College, directing graduate fellowship grants and programs. She is an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Education Policy, Organization and Leadership