Spring semester, which began Jan. 11, saw an increase in new students who were not with us for the fall semester. As of Jan. 26, Riverland has 654 new students at Albert Lea, Austin, Owatonna or online. We hope that this trend toward higher enrollment continues to grow in the coming decade as Minnesotans recognize that they can take traditional or online classes for transfer, retrain in one of our technical programs or seek short-term training to advance in their current careers. Employers will need skilled workers to help fuel the recovery from this recession and remain competitive globally.

Riverland continues to develop new career options in fields that offer opportunity for employment in our region. President Obama said in his State of the Union address, “It begins with energy. We know the country that harnesses the power of clean, renewable energy will lead the 21st century.”

Riverland is already preparing skilled workers for the renewable energy field. Last fall, we ventured into the renewable energy industry by launching a two-year wind turbine technician program. This spring we added a solar installer certificate to our course offerings. The demand for solar installers is expected to expand as homeowners and businesses consider solar thermal systems to meet energy, heat, and hot water needs. Rebate programs and cost savings are incentives for energy-savvy consumers.

Workforce Development Inc. received a grant to offer scholarships to up to 16 students enrolled and ready to start in the 22-credit solar installers program in January. Riverland’s current construction electrician students adding the certificate to their resume should find they are more marketable after graduation.

Another source of pride for Riverland this spring is that the college was recently named one of the “Best Places to Work” for the second consecutive year by Workforce Development. This honor was presented to seven companies representing Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele and Wabasha counties. In the “Over 100” employee category, Riverland shared the honor with three other companies including Lou-Rich in Albert Lea.

The “Best Places to Work” awards program, commissioned by Workforce Development Inc., recognizes employers in our region that successfully attract and retain employees. A Florida independent consulting firm analyzes and selects each “Best Places to Work” recipient based on employment practices and benchmarked data compiled from a 40-question survey.

Riverland decided to apply for the “Best Places to Work” award again this year because going through the survey report always gives us insight into our strengths and weaknesses. If we did not win, at least we would have gained valuable information to help us improve as an organization.

Achieving the award two years in row is an affirmation that our college team continues to improve work-place quality at Riverland, even in the face of formidable financial challenges.

This column highlights only a few recent Riverland developments. We will continue to achieve excellence in teaching and learning as we move toward graduation at the end of this already promising new semester.

Terrence Leas is the president of Riverland Community College.