EnergyBiz - September/October 2007 - (Page 10) » Financial Front help Wanted new worKforCe ProGrams aim to fill vaCanCies By Gary m. stern proliferating in the utility industry. Yet. But reports indicate that retiring baby boomers in the next five years combined with fewer workers going into technical jobs could create a utility employment crunch. The Workforce Trends in the Electric Utility Industry report issued by the U.S. Department of Energy in August 2006 confirmed what most utility executives and HR directors already knew. Employment openings will be increasing. The report noted that 78 million American baby boomers or 44 percent of the workforce would be reaching retirement age in the next few years. It concluded, “For electric utilities, whose service quality and reliability depends on maintaining an adequate, knowledgeable workforce, managing the upcoming retirement transition is a particular challenge.” Replacing retiring workers is only part of the challenge. Between now and 2030, many utilities expect 50 percent growth because of increased demand for power, says Mary Miller, vice president of HR at the Edison Electric Institute. “We’re not only looking to replace workers but likely hiring will be increasing,” she adds. For example, demand will outpace supply for electrical line workers since about 50 percent of them will be retiring in the next five to 10 years. Estimates are that 20 percent of line worker openings may go unfilled if utilities don’t take concerted action to replace them. In fact, the Centralia College Center of Excellence for Energy Technology predicts a growth rate of 50 NewsFlash to 60 percent in the hiring China eFFiCienCy of power plant maintenance Gains and mechanics, apprentice China is making electricians, among several progress on its technical positions. commitment to reduce Solving the future energy use per unit of employment needs of the economic output 20 percent by 2010. utility industry is going to In the first half of take a combined effort of 2006, total energy industry organizations such use fell 2.78 percent, as EEI, utilities partnering compared to one year with four-year and community earlier, Xinhua News Agency reported. But colleges to develop career total electricity use programs, and utilities taking increased 3.64 percent bold recruiting measures. in the same period. EEI established the Chinese industry uses 20 to 100 percent Center for Workforce more energy per unit Development in March of economic output 2006 to provide “more than major industrial comprehensive approaches countries like the United to workforce development States, according to the World Bank. and identify and replicate the The help WanTed signs aren’T Nelson Rembert, a Gulf Power Academy student, goes over an environmental report with Ashley Keough, an engineer with Gulf Power’s environmental affairs. photo courtEsy of gulf powEr. best practices of community colleges, high schools and apprenticeship programs,” says Miller. In addition, it aims to “improve perceptions of energy utility careers,” which diminished in the last few years, she adds. Even when utilities partner with community colleges to train technicians, timing these programs to meet employment needs can be tricky, suggests Donna Robichaud, a vice president of asset management at Duke Energy Generation Services and member of the advisory board of the University of Cincinnati’s power technology program. “If you flood the market with graduates and can’t hire them, you’re going to create disillusionment. Currently we’re going through an adjustment period, but we’re trying to make sure we can meet our blossoming needs for 2010 or 2011,” she says. In 2007, Duke will hire a handful of graduates, but in three to four years, it might recruit an entire class of 50 students. Working with Duke Energy, AEP and First Energy, the University of Cincinnati started two programs in power systems technology in fall 2006. One is a two-year 96-credit program offering an associate’s degree and the other a 24-credit one-year certificate program. Both concentrations train students to serve as power plant operators in the electric power generation and transmission industry. The utilities reviewed the curriculum and offered practical suggestions. Students take courses in the fundamentals of electricity, electric wiring, and programmable logic control. By the time they complete the program they will have “electrical and mechanical skills to operate electric power generating stations,” says Max Rabiee, chairman 10 E n E rgyB i z September/October 2007 http://www.energycentral.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.