New online workforce training program, CEA Works, to launch June 1

Cornell University’s Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering (GLASE)Consortium is launching CEA Works, a new online, self-paced educational program designed to upskill the controlled environment agriculture workforce.

Supported by funding from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the program will open its first courses to the public starting June 1, 2025.

CEA Works provides targeted training and certification for key industry roles, including assistant growers, head growers and CEA farm operations managers.

The curriculum, developed collaboratively by experts from GLASE, Cornell University, SUNY Broome, The Ohio State University and Agritecture, equips participants with the technical knowledge and practical tools needed to succeed and advance in the fast-growing greenhouse and indoor farming sectors.

“We are excited to expand the GLASE Library with four new courses so students and professionals alike can train for the CEA careers of their dreams,” said GLASE Executive Director Gretchen Schimelpfenig.

The initial four-course offerings available this summer include:

• Overview of Crop Production in CEA: Taught by Neil Mattson (Cornell University), this course covers the fundamentals of indoor crop production, including comparisons between different CEA systems, crop-specific practices and innovations in automation for crops like leafy greens, tomatoes and strawberries. Enrollment fee: $200.
• Root Zone Management: Instructed by Uttara Samarakoon (The Ohio State University), this course introduces key concepts in managing plant nutrition, substrates and irrigation strategies to promote healthy root development and optimize productivity. Enrollment fee: $200.
• Plant Physiology of CEA Crops: Led by Chieri Kubota (The Ohio State University), this course explores the core physiological processes in CEA crops and how environmental conditions, such as light, temperature and humidity, affect yield, quality and stress responses. Enrollment fee: $200.
• CEA Business Planning 101: Presented by Yara Nagi and Jeffrey Landau (Agritecture), this course provides a practical introduction to business planning in CEA, including budgeting, cost evaluation and strategies for achieving profitability and sustainability. Enrollment fee: $60.

All four CEA Works courses can be bundled and purchased for $500.

Courses are online and self-paced, so learners can build their skills flexibly while earning certification tailored to the demands of CEA operations. Students have access to CEA Works courses for three months after purchase.

“By bridging real-world industry needs with technical knowledge, CEA Works will help prepare today’s workforce for the challenges and opportunities in sustainable food production,” said Neil Mattson, GLASE principal investigator and Cornell University professor.

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For more information on CEA Works, contact GLASE Extension Support Specialist Matthew DelBuono at mjd378@cornell.edu and follow GLASE on LinkedIn.

GLASE Industry Advisory Board members also enjoy complimentary access to CEA Works and the entire GLASE Library for their teams. Contact Del Buono at the email above to learn more.

GLASE was established in 2017 by Cornell University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. It is supported by the New York StateEnergy Research and Development Authority, the USDA and members of an Industry Advisory Board.

The GLASE consortium advances CEA industry education and workforce development with annual short courses like CEA Works funded by the USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative’sEducation and Workforce Development, free webinars and an annual summit.

Guided by its Industry Advisory Board, GLASE and its partner academic institutions work on research, education and commercialization of emerging technologies to save growers money and reduce the carbon footprint of greenhouse operations.