Imperial Valley College Dean of Economic and Workforce Development Efrain Silva speaks to the audience during a press conference held at IVC's Board Room in Imperial on Wednesday while IVC Chemistry Professor Jim Fisher, Controlled Thermal Resources Holdigns, Inc. CEO Rod Colwell, and Energy Source Minerals' Vince Signorotti listen.
Imperial Valley College Chemistry Professor Dr. Jim Fisher speaks to the audience during a press conference held at IVC's Board Room in Imperial Wednesday.
IMPERIAL — In less than two years, Imperial Valley College expects to give 25 students with their chemical technician program certificates allowing them to then be hired within the lithium industry.
On Wednesday, IVC officials, along with Imperial County officials and lithium industry leaders announced in a press conference the first-ever chemical technician program within the Phase 2 of the Lithium Industry Force Program, or LIFT.
IVC’s Dean of Economics and Workforce Development Efrain Silva said the institution expects all those 25 get hired after obtaining their certificates. Eventually, the program will continue to provide the multi-million lithium industry with more qualified employees.
Silva said the initial conversations to get companies and educational institutions together began more than two years ago with just an idea that evolved into a concept to make sure residents get the opportunities and avoid corporations to bring workers from out of the area for their operations.
“This is the beginning of the journey,” Silva said. “The beginning of getting excited about the Lithium Valley concept.”
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewables, Controlled Thermal Resources, Energy Source Minerals, and Ormat are some of the companies involved in the program, as well as organizations like the Imperial Valley Economic Development Corporation, the Imperial County Workforce Development Board, and others from outside the Imperial Valley.
“We’re here today because of the collaborations of a lot of people, not just our faculty, our experts, we brought in the lithium companies who committed from day one to help us develop these programs,” Silva continued. “We brought in industry experts. We brought in our faculty. We brought in everyone that could contribute to the understanding of what we needed to do."
According to the Dean, IVC received over a million dollars in funding from regional partners to make sure the college would acquire needed equipment.
Silva went on to say the one-year certificate programs were requested by lithium and geothermal company leaders to specifically address their needs. Those programs, he said, have a three to one ratio — three hours of work for every hour of lecture.
“So it’s extremely hands on, extremely work based learning,” the Dean said, explaining that such ratio makes sure students have the actual physical skills to be able to become productive workers for hiring companies.
“All of our students are required to do internships, and I want to thank all of the companies here because they came through and opening opportunities for our students to do their internship hours as they needed to do to supplement their hands-on training that they received in the classroom,” Silva said.
Some of those internships started out at the BHER plants here in the valley back in 2021 with a group of 12 students, with six of them recently holding their final presentations.
“It was overwhelming,” BHER representative Lenie Sarion said, quoting some of those students comments. “But they learned a lot.”
Last month, a new group of 13 students began their internships with the company, whose training include meeting with mentors, who have said these new cohort is more engaged than the previous one.
The company is now looking for more students for the internship program, Sarion said.
IVC first started these lithium-focused programs with the plant operator program a year ago. Those students are now ready to graduate and get their certificates this summer.
“We recognize that we’re probably a little ahead of the lithium hires, and that’s okay,” Silva said. “It’s better to be a little ahead than a little behind because you never catch up.”
The dean added that students are now receiving opportunities in other disciplines outside the lithium industry
“We're kicking off our chemical technician program this fall with our first graduating class within this discipline next summer,” Silva said, right before acknowledging his staff for their hard work. “We anticipate beginning our third phase of the LIFT programs in fall of (20)25 with the start of our instrumentation technician program.”
IVC Chemistry professor Dr. Jim Fisher said the chemical technician program was developed with the input from our local advisory committee.
According to Dr. Fisher, students can go into two different pathways — first with a three-year Associate Degree program or the one-year chemical technician program.
“Currently in the United States, the trend has been highly more college-based for the chemical technicians program,” Dr. Fisher said.
The professor explained students will take some math, chemistry and other classes to get prepared on how to work with equipment, create data from experiments, clean glassware, handle chemicals, and labeling and storing samples, helping students to become familiar with the comfortable laboratory environment they will be expected to work at.
“We want them to be able to focus on procedures and data,” Dr. Fisher said. “We want them to be able to collect data from an experiment, but we also have to have them understand how that data is used in the report.”
The goal, he said, is to help students to match equipment with experiments considering accuracy limitations with the data generated by equipment.
“We also have to have them be able to set up an experiment, like have to set up the actual experiment to collect the data and then be able to verify that they do have the correct data,” the professor detailed. “The overall goal is for them to be able to take that data from the measurements that they’re doing, from the instruments that they’re using, and then, sort of to understand that, to be a lab technician, they have to have a lab that’s in well-working order, that they have to be able to set up and experiment, collect the data, and then do the experiment, collect the data.”
“The only way we can accomplish this is if they do a lot of hands-on, a lot of hands-on experience,” Dr. Fisher added.
“In today’s rapidly changing world, the importance of having a strong and skilled workforce cannot be overstated,” IVC President/Superintendent Lennor Johnson said. “IVC is dedicated to preparing students for the jobs of tomorrow, not just for today.”
According to Johnson, IVC seeks to ensure every individual in the county has an opportunity to continue their education and have access to career training.
“We are steadfast in our commitment to eradicating poverty in the county,” Dr. Johnson said. “Through comprehensive programs and initiatives, we are working tirelessly to create and build pathways for to success and for every community in our community.”
The IVC President/Superintendent recalled the plant operator program started last summer with 60 students, who are doing exceptionally well and are now on the path to finding and securing job opportunities in the future, which under his perspective now looks very, very promising.
“Building on this success, we are incredibly excited to launch our chemical lab technician program this fall,” the superintendent said. “We feel like with the same dedication and focus, we’ll aim to achieve similar success and provide our students with the skills and knowledge they need to excel in this emerging industry.”
In his message, Johnson acknowledged the county board of supervisors, the college’s board of trustees, staff, faculty and others for their continued support and dedication to a shared vision to eradicating poverty in Imperial County by providing quality education and eliminating barriers to student success.
CTR Holdings, Inc. Chief Executive Officer Rod Colwell, who first recognized county and college officials, as well as colleagues form the other lithium companies, said CTR has been trying to figure out the Lithium Valley for the last 13 years.
Since then, he said, the company has accomplished great milestones, especially after signing a supply contract with General Motors to produce the corporation’s electric vehicles.
Colwell said his company is very proud to be involved in the LIFT program, in which several team members have collaborated along with college and county staff.
“I'd like to congratulate the students, the 60 students that are, you know, moving forward with a clearly a great career,” the CEO said, by explaining the company has already hired 50 employees. “So hiring, you know, locally, is our number one priority, and I think we've been testament to that.”
The next 60 student cohort is expected to be absorbed by lithium companies in the coming future, he said.
“CTR will employ around, for stage 1, 110 operators and 60 techs and engineers,” Colwell said, adding that once the seven-stage CTR campus is completed would employ 970 operators. “So it seems like a lot. It is a lot.”
“This is just the beginning of what the board of supervisors has really wanted to create in Imperial County, and that is an opportunity for all the residents in Imperial County to be able to successfully live, breathe, and stay in Imperial County,” District 1 Supervisor Jesus Eduardo Escobar said. “Most of our kids do not stay in Imperial County, because of a lack of jobs, because of a lack of education within our Imperial County. This is a step in the right direction.”
Escobar insisted that although the LIFT program is a milestone for all of the stakeholders this is just the beginning, as officials seek to continue to focus on careers, opportunities, job creation, public health, economic opportunity, and for all our kids, all the next generation to be able to stay in Imperial County, live in Imperial County, and prosper in Imperial County.
Separately, Energy Source Minerals Community Affairs Liaison Elizabeth Espinoza, said being part of this project to help realize local workforce development out here for all people to come and gain these jobs and learn the skilled workforce necessary is incredible.
“I want to thank the number one community college in the nation for harnessing this art industry how to knowledge to establish a curriculum that will match learning opportunities with the skills needed in the lithium industry,” Espinoza said. “This has been truly a cooperative and productive partnership.”
Espinoza considered the LIFT program itself will play a crucial role in bringing Imperial Valley students into the industry, creating a local workforce for the jobs companies create.
“We have prioritized local hiring workforce since the establishment of the John L. Featherstone plant in 2012,” Espinoza said. “We want to help ensure that the local workforce development opportunities are available in this community.”
The community affairs liaison added that the company is a proud partner with the IVC Foundation to help develop the plant operator program’s curriculum and the incoming chemical and lab technician program.
“It’s this partnership between industry and academia that can help students learn and ensure that these opportunities are available for them should they choose to seek it,” Espinoza said, by recognizing the company’s Vice-President Vince Signorotti for his commitment with IVC programs.
“A few years ago, it was a cobblestone of people in a room trying to come up with ideas and marshaling efforts in multiple directions,” District 4 Supervisor Ryan Kelley said. “And I can tell you today that the County of Imperial and other partner agencies including IVC and industry are working very hard to make this a reality.”
The supervisor said the county is working to make sure additional resources are provided locally.
So far, the county has fully permitted two lithium projects, adding that the valley has a window of opportunity to provide employment for everyone that comes out of the training programs.
“So as these operators come through in the first cohorts, and as the technician chemical technicians come through, we want to be able to see them placement,” Kelley said. “The opportunity for workforce, for education, for all of our communities is associated with producing the commodity.”
The district 4 supervisor said multiple agencies are working in the effort of trying to bring manufacturing associated with batteries, cathodes, and recycling into the valley to make a significant greater impact than just new energy and mineral development.
“We have challenges in Imperial County,” Kelley said, highlighting issues with the Salton Sea, the New River and high pollution levels that he considered as opportunities county officials are not running away from. “Regardless of all the challenges we have, we will succeed in producing new opportunities for employment, new opportunities for education, and new opportunities for our youth.”
Before thanking Dean Silva and ICWDB Executive Director Priscilla Lopez for their effort, Burt Short, with BHER, recalled that the program’s idea started in conversations held a few years ago.
“Our target audience is not in this room,” Short said. “It’s your children. It’s your cousins. It’s your brothers. It’s your sisters — People who are already in other industries who are looking for careers in electric power generation, lithium extraction, and things like that.”
According to Short, junior high school and high school students who normally leave the county due to lack of opportunities will now be able to stay with great jobs and great careers that pay good wages and benefits.
“There’s a path to progression and succession,” Short said. “This is going to be world class training. I’m just really excited for this opportunity.”
“It’s been a long journey,” Energy Source Minerals Vice-President Signorotti said, “but we're getting very much closer to the finish line, and we're grateful for that.”
