An op-ed in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch this week gives a real world example of how ethanol is a job creator for the nation.
Today, Christopher Wense is an operations technician for the National Corn to Ethanol Research Center at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, but less than three years ago he had been laid off from his job at U.S. Steel in Granite City after the coke ovens at the facility closed. Faced with having to learn a new trade at 41 years old, Wense decided to pursue a degree in process operations technology at a local community college because he was interested in the growth potential of the renewable fuels industry.
Wense had the opportunity to intern at NCERC and in February of last year accepted a full-time position at NCERC as an ethanol plant operations technician, while also pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Management and Applied Engineering at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.
“I am so thankful to the NCERC for the opportunities I have been given,” says Wense. “I see endless growth opportunities for the U.S. ethanol industry, and providing people just like me with rewarding, long-term careers.”