ATEEC Regional Energy Conversation Forums

Facilitation of Forums

One of ATEEC’s areas of expertise is the facilitation of strategic group interviews. A strategic group interview is an activity that gathers together a group of people to discuss and reach consensus on a pre-arranged topic. A forum is a type of strategic group interview that is usually used to definitize the scope of a broad issue or topic. For a detailed example of one of the forums that ATEEC has facilitated, see our 2008 Defining Energy Technologies and Services or Defining Environmental Technology report.

With support from the National Science Foundation, ATEEC is facilitating a series of one-day Regional Energy Forums to address the following issues:

• Identify emerging regional workforce needs for technicians and programs at community colleges and other organizations that prepare students for jobs in the renewable energy field of the future. 
• Identify essential skill sets and what is currently missing from regional training programs.

Forum participants come from business and industry, energy trade associations, higher education, etc.

To date, three forums have been conducted:

ATEEC/NSF Regional Energy Forum #1

May 13, 2009

Local Sponsor: Madison Area Technical College, Barbara Anderegg

Madison, WI

Facilitated by: Jeff Armstrong & Kirk Laflin

ATEEC/NSF Regional Energy Forum #2

June 25, 2009

Local Sponsor: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Cynthia Howell

Golden, CO

Facilitated by: Jeff Armstrong & Melonee Docherty

ATEEC/NSF Regional Energy Forum #3

June 30, 2009

Local Sponsor: Hillsborough Community College, Marilyn Barger

FLATE Center/South Shore Campus

Tampa, FL

Facilitated by: Jeff Armstrong & Kirk Laflin

Three additional forums are in the planning stage.  Preliminary and final results of all forums will be posted in the ATEEC Products section as free, downloadable resources. Watch for further plans and updates.