American Gas - July 2013 - (Page 32)

Although the natural gas industry urgently needs to fill positions now, it also needs to look at where the next generation of workers will come from. The Center for Energy Workforce Development has some profile ideas. Executive Director Ann rAndAzzo explains. A pipElinE for ThE fuTurE Meeting the industry’s growing workforce demands is a complex challenge, with new workers needing specialized knowledge and skills at the same time that experienced workers age and retire. The nonprofit Center for Energy Workforce Development—a partnership between utilities, associations, contractors, and unions—not only studies the industry’s employment issues through regular surveys and analysis, but also takes a handson approach in helping to reach the workers of tomorrow—America’s students, from college all the way down to middle school. Executive Director Ann Randazzo explains how. AG: How did CEWD come about? Ann Randazzo: We came together in 2005. The major utilities, along with the Edison Electric Institute and the American Gas Association and others, came together to talk about the issues we were facing with both an aging workforce and the mass of construction that was going on or planned. What companies were seeing was that at the same time many employees were getting ready to [retire], they were needing many new employees to help build. Of course, things have changed with the economy and what’s going on in terms of the changing generation mix, with grid modernization, and other game-changers. AG: How did you get involved? AR: I worked for Georgia Power for 22 years in a variety of positions, then moved to Arlington, Va., when my husband was offered a job here. I started my own consulting firm and consulted with utilities, primarily in organization strategic planning. In this role, I was asked to help organize a new organization that was formed as CEWD. When we started looking for an executive director, I was too far in to let go and asked to be considered. I have enjoyed every step in helping to create and being part of this incredible organization. AG: In addition to identifying people who might transition to the energy industry now, you’re talking to students in high school, and even younger. AR: In middle school, which is really where you have to start building career awareness. We even start earlier than that, in elementary school. But by the time students get to middle school, they really have to make decisions about what math and science they’re going to take. We tend to think about STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) jobs as being biologists or chemists or mathematicians, but these technician positions and the operations positions are STEM jobs. We talk about putting STEM to work, because you have to use the science, technology, and math skills that are so critical. So you have to catch kids early, especially girls—girls make decisions on math as early as fourth grade—to be able to help them move into the courses that they’ll need to move into these higher jobs. AG: How do you approach, say, a middle school and reach students at this age? AR: We have several different things. We have several states working to develop Careers in Energy Week activities [National Careers in Energy Week is October 14–20]. They have different activities that they have created for the students, whether it’s an open house or it’s an essay or a video contest. It might be having people go into the classrooms and present some information, or having some of the people who have these jobs go in and talk about what they do. Just to pique the interest of students. If they can see the possibilities for energy in the future, that’s something they’re going to be interested in later on when they begin to decide what they’re going to do. AG: Do you feel the industry has had a bit of a branding problem as far as making it attractive to younger people? AR: We hear a lot about that, but when you hear about the jobs that are available, the types of careers that you can have in this industry, that’s what the branding is about. In general, people in high school and college just don’t know what kind of work people do in companies. You can work in a big company and you can be anything. It’s not just about these technical positions. Utilities hire people in communications and accounting and in IT—all kinds of different positions—so I think we have a job to do with students in general, to teach them what kind of work there really is in the world. u Find out more at www.cewd.org. Photogra P hy by adam auel 32 AmericAn GAs july 2013 http://www.cewd.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Gas - July 2013

American Gas - July 2013
Contents
President’s Message
Subject Index
Shining a Light for Gas Efficiency
Digest
Issues
Issues
Update
Need to Know
By the Numbers
Places
Scratch, Sniff—Evacuate?
Capitol Hill
Cape Canaveral
The Corner Office
AGA Ops Conference
Elm Street
Work in Progress
Profile
For Good Measure
Law
Jobs
Marketplace
Buyer’s Guide
Headway

American Gas - July 2013