With jobs in renewable energy and sustainability on the rise, students from across the country are coming to Ecotech to gain hands-on training

Denver, CO, January 25, 2012 – Ecotech Institute, the first and only college entirely focused on preparing America’s workforce for careers in renewable energy and sustainability, announced today that its January quarter kicked off with 100 new students, the largest start to date. With total current enrollment at 473 students, Ecotech witnessed a student population increase of almost 400 percent in just one year.

Ecotech Institute started classes in a temporary facility in June 2010 as it completed an overhaul of an existing vacant building. In January 2011, Ecotech’s 119 students began attending school in its LEED gold-certified campus in Aurora, Colorado. Since then, the facility’s offerings, faculty and student enrollment have continually experienced growth and improvement.

This June, the first graduating class of 39 students is expected to receive their degrees and in December 2012, another 50 students are expected to graduate. Of these students, the most popular degrees include Wind Energy Technology, Renewable Energy Technology and Electrical Engineering Technology.

“We knew we had something special when Ecotech opened its doors, and it’s inspiring to see increasingly more students come from across the country to pursue a degree that can truly make a difference in the world,” said Mike Seifert, president of Ecotech Institute. “With our first group of graduates in June, we can’t wait to see where they go and to hear their stories of success. This is definitely going to be a big year for us.”

Today, 90 percent of Ecotech’s students are men and 77 percent of the students are from Colorado. However, every day more and more students are moving from other states to pursue a degree at Ecotech, with students from 37 states and Puerto Rico currently represented. The top states from which Ecotech students have relocated include California, New Jersey, Wyoming, Illinois and Texas.

With the growth in students comes a growth in faculty as well. When Ecotech first opened, the school had one program director and two instructors. Ecotech now has three program directors and 24 instructors who teach in 11 hands-on learning labs. Ecotech’s holistic teaching approach gives students a chance to learn first-hand about the technology they will use in the field of their future career. At Ecotech, students also learn soft skills (communication, workplace etiquette), math and science basics and technology skills.

Ecotech Institute, which is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, offers seven highly practical degree programs and one certificate program that provide graduates with skills valued by today’s alternative renewable energy employers.

To learn more about Ecotech Institute, visit us online at www.ecotechinstitute.com or call 877-326-5576. The next round of classes begins in April and applications are being accepted now. Financial assistance is available to those who qualify.

About Ecotech Institute
Ecotech Institute is the first and only college entirely focused on preparing America’s workforce for careers in renewable energy and sustainability. Launched in April 2010 in Denver, Colorado, the college offers seven associate’s degrees and a certificate program designed by experts in the industry for people seeking careers in the emerging cleantech economy. Ecotech Institute is a division of Education Corporation of America. For more information about Ecotech Institute, visit www.ecotechinstitute.com.

Contact:
Alicia Hassinger or Jenny Foust
CSG|PR
303.433.7020
ahassinger@csg-pr.com or jfoust@csg-pr.com

About Education Corporation of America
Education Corporation of America is a leader in the post-secondary career school market with current enrollment of almost 20,000 students.  The ECA website is www.ecacolleges.com.  In addition to Ecotech Institute, ECA schools include Virginia College, founded in 1983, a private institution of higher education that offers non-degree and associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in the areas of Health and Medical, Business, Information Technology, Interior Design, Computer Design, Culinary Arts, Cosmetology, Nursing and more in eighteen different cities.  Virginia College campuses are located in Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile and Montgomery, Alabama; Jacksonville and Pensacola, Florida; Augusta, Columbus, Macon and Savannah, Georgia; Biloxi and Jackson, Mississippi; Charleston, Spartanburg, Columbia, and Greenville, South Carolina; Chattanooga and Knoxville, Tennessee; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Richmond, Virginia; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Austin, Texas. The Virginia College website is www.vc.edu.  Virginia College also offers classes worldwide via the Internet, with student services and admissions facilities in Birmingham, Alabama, and Tampa, Florida, and a Military Student Center also in Tampa.  Information about online classes at Virginia College is available at www.vconline.edu.  Additionally, ECA operates Culinard, the Culinary Institute of Virginia College, with locations in Birmingham and Mobile, Alabama; Richmond, Virginia; Savannah, Georgia; and Jacksonville, Florida.  The website is www.culinard.com.  ECA also operates Golf Academy of America, with locations in Phoenix, Arizona; San Diego, California; Dallas, Texas; Orlando, Florida; and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  The Golf Academy website is www.golfacademy.edu.

Contact:
Alicia Hassinger
CSG|PR
3225 East 2nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
303-433-7020
ahassinger@csg-pr.com
http://www.csg-pr.com