Heartland Community College Program Profile

We started with humble beginnings.  Initially, we shared an indoor lab facility for small solar and wind installation and repairing to meet the needs of local workforce.  Then we added building automation systems into our courses to assist with HVAC training on foundational building controls.  In 2015, we added an outdoor shed that was used to do larger scale wind, electrical energy, and solar installations. 

Early 2024, we moved into a brand-new advanced manufacturing facility that includes new labs for our energy program, HVAC and EV technologies.  We now offer more robust training in electrical wiring, automation and controls at the electronics level, Building Automation Systems -BAS, to support HVAC, high voltage battery training, Battery Energy Storage Systems -BESS, and Electric Vehicle Service Equipment -EVSE. 

We have a climbing system to teach climbing and safety for our wind technician program as well as indoor solar training system for PV systems training.  Our facility and its design are well thought out on its use of resources to prepare our students for high paying stable careers in energy. 

Our focus is on foundation -level skills at the technician level to help students enter the American produced energy systems that we need to keep our economy and local community going strong.  I think the success we have is a strong employer base that values our skilled students when they enter the workforce.  Our employers’ value us and we value their commitment to work with us on internships and job shadowing opportunities as students complete their program. 

Another success is offering an in-depth hands-on training that reaches a broad scope of areas in the energy field.  Our program was strategically designed  to educated and train students for a wide opportunity of careers.  This includes being an installer of energy systems with skills in troubleshooting, installation, technical sales, and field service operations.  In addition, students are entering fields as battery technicians, solar installers, wind turbine technicians, building automation technicians, supporting technical support roles to name a few, for our Central Illinois District.  We have a great faculty base that wants our students and companies do well.   

We have a core group of local companies in the renewable/sustainable field.  We have very large tentacles in BAS, BESS, Electrical, EVSE, Solar, and Wind industry partners.  These organizations have been very supportive and not competitive for our students.  They understand that there are pressing needs of getting a skilled workforce and want to help fill their needs.  Our current board is comprised of, State Farm, Straight Up Solar, Legacy Solar, Invenergy, Rivian Electric Vehicle, and EDP.    

We offer internships.  Within the last two years there has been a large-scale push from the institution and employee level to get more internships.  This trend will continue and be a valuable opportunity for our students.   

Heartland Community College has an articulation agreement with Illinois State University’s Renewable Energy BS degree.