January 31, 2006
Over the next several
years, the electric utility industry will face a major
depletion of its workforce, as nearly half of existing
utility workers move toward retirement. In order to get
out ahead of this looming shortage, utilities like NSTAR
are getting creative in how they recruit new skilled
employees. The company has teamed up with Bunker Hill
Community College in Boston and the Utility Workers
Union of America, Local 369, to offer a two-year
training program that awards students not only a degree,
but also a job opportunity upon graduation. NSTAR is
looking for interested candidates to apply now for the
fall 2006 semester.
"It is crucial to the smooth operation of the nation's power grid that we replenish this very important sector of the workforce," said Thomas May, NSTAR Chairman, President and CEO. "This program allows us to reach out to young people in the communities we serve and offer them excellent career opportunities. At the same time, it helps us build a new generation of diverse and talented utility workers."
The Electric Power Utility Technology Program includes college class and lab work, field training, and paid on-the-job internships aimed at training students to become overhead line workers. Those who successfully complete the program receive an Associates Degree and employment opportunities at NSTAR. The partnership with BHCC, which has the most diverse student population of any community college in the state, is part of NSTAR’s commitment to build an inclusive workplace and support the communities it serves.
"The Electric Power Utility Technology Program is the perfect example of how businesses and community colleges can work together to meet the workforce needs of the region," said Bunker Hill Community College President Mary Fifield. "These students are already on the path to success when they graduate. They not only have the chance to get a great education, but also to establish a skilled career with real growth potential.”
In addition to intensive class work and laboratory training at BHCC, the program provides hands-on training in several areas of NSTAR’s Electric Operations including Metering, Underground, Overhead, Substations, and Dispatch. Students also earn credits for their on-the-job training and work experience at NSTAR, and work under paid internships for the company during school vacation periods. Students participate in a field experience at NSTAR, consisting of a minimum two weeks at winter break and eight weeks during summer break, for which they are paid $15 per hour (with $12 going to the student and $3 credited toward tuition).
“These students are getting hands-on training from some of the industry's best. Today’s workforce has enormous undocumented knowledge that is deep and complex and not written in any manuals or books,” said Gary Sullivan, President of UWUA Local 369. “The program enables the kind of "knowledge transfer" essential for training the next generation of workers to operate the highly demanding electrical systems we all depend on every day.”
Interested applicants can visit NSTAR's web site or call 781-441-8300.
The Electric Power Utility Technology Training program was established in September 2004 and will graduate its first students this spring.
