Powering job opportunity Continued from page 21
E4 Carolinas has various workforce development efforts to strengthen energy education and the professionals in this field. A few of those efforts: • Assess future energy hiring needs in the Carolinas • Design special energy training • Strengthen higher education energy engineering programs • Operate young leader classes, a women-in-energy group and an energy communicators group “High rates of internships means that companies and academia are teaming up wisely. In the Carolinas our intensely collaborative work ethic is a competitive advantage for us in the energy industry,” Scott Carlberg says. “Others may try to imitate it, but we have the innate talent and history to make it work. Young workers appreciate those who genuinely care about professional development, and the energy companies in the Carolinas are collectively developing the workforce that can ensure an energy-secure America.” E4 Carolinas is a nonprofit corporation that convenes industry, research and educational institutions, innovators, economic-development organizations, and public leaders to coordinate the energy cluster in the Carolinas. The Carolinas’ Nuclear Cluster is a part of this broad energy organization. E4 Carolinas’ mission is to promote economic growth, employment, productivity and prosperity by cultivating a collaborative energy cluster in the Carolinas region. The four E’s stand for Energy, Economy, Environment and Efficiency. Learn more about E4 Carolinas at its website: www.E4Carolinas.org.
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development, says, “Interns can be a rare opportunity to take a calculated risk on someone that may not be perfect on paper, but seems to have something special to offer. Look for that intangible potential, capacity to learn and the work ethic that can pay significant dividends.” A company is a mosaic of varied skills and personalities, and internships help verify how the pieces work together. Finding a fit and filling a need are strategic workforce issues. A purposeful approach to building a team is critical. One manager says, “I am not the kind of person I need to hire.” To put it in another way, why go for two-of-a-kind when you can draw a flush. Opt for the best hand. Building the company brand among upcoming grads also is valuable. Internship programs serve as human resources marketing tools. A positive experience with the company gets its name into the general student market. Collins of Mitsubishi says, “If a company creates a seriously tough internship experience, it will quickly gain the reputation that they are the company of choice for future leaders to seek.” Interns do more than help each company that uses them, however. An ample and well-trained workforce is essential for local economic development. Industry needs good workers to thrive. A network of internships can reinforce workforce development and build a region’s reputation as a place for young people to relocate and grow. Here’s an example. A young woman from New York joined the three-week high school summer session called the Young Investigators’ Summer Program in Nuclear Technology at N.C. State University. Lisa Marshall, director of outreach at State says, “During our program we visited a nuclear plant and had students engage in a slice of our reactor training program. Afterward that student enrolled at NCSU and later
interned at Progress Energy. Upon graduation she joined the company and is with Duke Energy today.” This collaborative educational and corporate experience attracted a smart young person here, to stay and contribute to the Carolinas’ economy. Marshall says, “Relationship-building drives a successful intern program from the first contact with students through the recruitment and interview process to job execution and follow up. Students want to genuinely participate in the industry and we in the educational and corporate world must authentically engage with them for success.” Carolina energy companies are stepping up to the plate on this critical jobs issue. Parents also have a role in reinforcing the path to skilled jobs: support school efforts to improve STEM education and make science and math knowledge an active part of the home environment. “More and more careers require competencies in science, technology, engineering and math, but students are not always aware of these career options,” says Aiken Technical College Vice President for Education and Training Dr. Gemma Frock. “Through our QuestATC camps and our Scout Saturday workshops, we teach young people, in a fun, hands-on environment, what these opportunities are. By engaging not only students, but also parents, to understand and support the value of a STEM education, we encourage an interest in STEM for future generations and ensure that a highly-trained workforce exists to fill the high-demand careers available in our region.” Internships make a difference. “Nearly two-thirds of graduating seniors from the class of 2013 took part in an internship or a cooperative education assignment during their years pursuing a bachelor’s degree,” according to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. u