DETROIT, MICHIGAN, April 9, 2004 - 'Alternative Energy: Training the Workforce of the Future' will be the theme of a June 2 symposium hosted by Wayne State University's Alternative Energy Technology (AET) program together with NextEnergy of Michigan. The public is invited.

Wayne State, along with four other Michigan colleges, have begun offering new degree and certificate programs in emerging energy technologies in a concerted effort funded by NextEnergy to prepare for a sustainable fuel economy. NextEnergy, located just north of the Wayne State campus, is supporting research, design, manufacturing, education, commercialization and marketing in AET to advance its use.

"This will be an important event for Michigan where some of the key players in education, government and industry will meet and help pave the way for the emerging energy economy," said Simon Ng, co-director of the Wayne State AET program. "Our goal for the symposium is to create a broad vision for alternative energy within the new economy, to forge partnerships between universities and industry, and to share information about the current state of AE education in Michigan."

What new energy technologies are emerging? What does the near and long-term future look like for emerging energy technologies? How will the emerging technologies impact jobs in the future? What new skills will be needed? What is the role of industry? These are some of the questions that will be addressed at the event.

Tom Benjamin, member of the Argonne National Laboratory's Electrochemical Projects Evaluation Group, will be the morning keynote speaker. Leaders of companies in Michigan developing fuel cell and wind power systems will participate in a morning panel entitled, Alternative Energy Education from an Industry Perspective. Fred Flett, vice president of Ballard Power Systems, Stanley Ovshinsky, CEO of Energy Conversion Devices, F. Michael Faubert, vice president of Engineering Services at DTE Technologies, and Winton Dahlstrom, president of Helix Synergy, are some of the panelists confirmed.

James Croce, CEO of NextEnergy, will speak on alternative energy and the Michigan economy followed by afternoon sessions when the AET curriculum at the five partner colleges - Wayne State, Lansing Community College, Kettering University, Lawrence Technological Institute, and the University of Michigan - will be rolled out.

"To spur economic development in emerging industries it is necessary that our workforce remain competitive," said Croce. "We decided a key priority was to support workforce development related to R&D personnel and technicians in order to retrain and grow the industry. What's we've done is to create the beginning of a statewide, seamless curriculum in alternative energy between two-year and four- year schools for this purpose".

Bernard Robertson, senior vice president at DaimlerChrysler, will speak on "Education: The High Tech Imperative" at the luncheon session.

The symposium will begin at 7:30 a.m. with registration at the WSU McGregor Conference Center. Cost is $35. Students are $20. For more information, an agenda, and to register, go to www.eng.wayne.edu/aetconference/ or call Barbara House at (313) 884-5714.