Implementation and Evaluation of the First Renewable Energy Systems Technical Course in Brazil

Abstract

Availability of skilled labor in renewable energies (REs) is a necessity for countries that, in search of sustainable development, intend to invest in this segment. Experiences with the training of this professional have been little reported in the literature, being more frequent studies contemplating superior level formation. In this paper, we describe the Brazilian experience with professional training of technicians in the RE sector. An overview of the public-professional education, the report, and the evaluation of the implementation of the first face-to-face technician course in RE systems in Brazil are presented. The course was offered in the Brazilian northeastern region, which stands out for the largest installed capacity in the country of solar and wind power plants (8223 MW); additionally, this region is characterized by social challenges, as a low Human Development Index (0.656), the lowest among the Brazilian regions. We also propose an updated teaching program with the indication of a reference curricular matrix. INDEX TERMS Curriculum development, educational institutions, educational programs, sustainable development vocational training. I. INTRODUCTION According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the world's RE sector employed 10.3 million people in 2017-an increase of 5.3% over 2016. China, Brazil, the United States, India, Japan and Germany represent more than 70% of such jobs [1]. Developing and mastering Renewable Energy (RE) technologies, in addition to meeting the countries' own demands, is also a business opportunity abroad in both the surplus energy trade and the export of technologies and services in a growing market, especially in developing countries. RE participation in the energy matrix of countries depends on a number of variables, such as political interest, availability of natural resources, financial resources and skilled labor. Vocational education at a technical level, especially in the RE field, is scarcely mentioned in the literature, and higher education is more frequent, although it is relevant for the training of managers and decision makers. However, in a natural distribution of jobs, the demand for craftsmen, The associate editor coordinating the review of this manuscript and approving it for publication was Hongli Dong.

Research, Development and Innovation: An Extracurricular Club Case Study

“…apply their acquired knowledge to real problems [10]. Moreover, some practices have shown that engineering students are motivated to learn complex concepts when they can solve real-life problems through projects and teamwork [11], [12], such as active learning [13], [14].…”