Powering up a new college curriculum
New Jersey-based PSEG is among the many companies in this industry facing a shortage of skilled workers. Baby boomers are beginning to retire, and it is critical that the utility begin recruiting new, employment-ready workers.
“Few young people are interested in technical trade careers, and even fewer are able to pass the preemployment tests associated with the technical jobs in the company. We are facing a gap as more employees are expected to leave the company than we can currently replace,” Rosengren said. “Finally, company leaders recognized a need to attract successful entry workers that more reflect the diversity of our customer base.”
To meet this challenge, PSEG developed the Energy Utility Technology Degree Program (Figure 3). The objective was to develop a continuous pipeline of diverse talent for employment in entry-level technical trade positions at PSEG and establish ties to vocational and specialized high schools that would generate renewed interest in technical trade careers. The program has been expanded to include courses geared toward the fossil generation business; a similar program is being developed for the utility’s nuclear generation business as well. The Utility Degree Program was developed in partnership with New Jersey community colleges and combines classroom instruction with technical apprentice-level training at PSEG’s Edison Training and Development Center.
3. Road to success. Ralph Izzo, PSEG president, chairman, and CEO, is surrounded by five proud graduates of the company’s utility degree program. From left to right, the former students and now PSEG employees are Monique Wade, apprentice engineering technician; James Carroll (wearing glasses), service apprentice; Joe Toplely, service apprentice; Bailah Dainkeh, apprentice engineering technician; and Brenda Broadnax, apprentice engineering technician. Courtesy: PSEG
Students take five utility courses that provide them with an overview of the business and the ability to focus on specific job areas. Included are courses such as Fundamentals of Electronics, Fundamentals of Gas Combustion, Fundamentals of Power AC, Intro to Underground, Intro to Utility Engineering, Intro to Appliance Service, and Intro to Metering. The training students receive for their internship is the first phase of the apprentice training the utility provides its off-the-street hires. The community colleges’ faculties lacked technical expertise, so PSEG technical experts assisted in curriculum development and serve as instructors for a number of the courses.
“The program also offers students training in safety, resume writing, interviewing and employability skills. A math requirement standard was also incorporated to address a gap in math skills. Current PSEG employees mentor students on the job and in the classroom. The program has been endorsed by three participating unions,” Rosengren said. “Students must also complete two different paid internships at the company’s field locations—often cited by the graduates as a critical component of the training that allowed them to improve their job skills and learn about what jobs at the company they might wish to seek.”
The program originally focused on seven specific union positions: mechanical assistant in the electric division working on electric infrastructure; apprentice engineer technician; apprentice meter technician, repairing and installing meters; apprentice substation mechanic; apprentice relay technician; utility mechanical assistant in the gas department; and apprentice service technician for the nonregulated appliance service business, working on gas heaters and HVAC systems and acting as a first responder in the event of gas leaks or related problems. Today, eight different types of full-time apprentice positions are available to program graduates.
According to Rosengren, the program has met all of its stated objectives to a much greater extent than anticipated by either PSEG or the community college’s staff. Due to the success of the initial program, it has been expanded beyond the pilot community college (Mercer Community College) to four others.
The program is successful because it has:
- Created a strong pipeline of talent for the company.
- Increased the diversity of new employees entering the company.
- Raised the competency level of new hires.
- Is extremely well aligned with the hiring requirements of PSEG’s gas and electric business units, as well as fossil generation.
- Is focused on student success.
“If a student completes the associate degree, performs well in his/her internships and meets PSEG’s other requirements, he/she may be offered employment at PSEG. We’ve hired 80% of the program’s graduates. Most of the hires have been in our electric division,” Rosengren said. “Our retention rate for hires is 96%. Through 2007, we have enrolled 161 students; 58 of these have been hired, 15 are currently waiting to be hired (13 of whom graduated in December 2007), 81 are currently in the program, and seven have left the program. This compares extremely well to other training programs that do not mix college course work with on-the-job internship training.”
According to Rosengren, more than 64% of the students hired through this technical trade program are minorities. Prior to the program, average minority hires into these positions were between 25% and 30%. Five percent of hires made through this program are female, compared with an average of just 1% prior to the program.
“The program raises the competency level of new hires and current employees. Graduates combine classroom work with hands-on, apprentice-level training prior to being hired. Our first-line supervisors and managers enhance their coaching and mentoring skills and gain experience working with and coaching a more diverse workforce,” Rosengren said. “Employees who join the company through this program are better prepared and become productive more quickly than those hired off the street.”
That’s in part because employees from the utility’s electric and gas division helped develop the curriculum and teach courses. The curriculum was specifically designed to meet the company’s business needs and can be adapted to meet changes in those needs.
Besides attracting more diverse entry-level candidates and equipping them with essential skills, the program’s internships allow field supervisors to observe students’ on-the-job performance and determine whether a particular student has, or still needs to acquire, the necessary behaviors and skills to succeed at the company, said Rosengren. This allows PSEG to determine whether a student has the aptitude for a job prior to being hired, which is something a job interview cannot always predict. This early observation helps reduce time and money invested in training new employees for positions for which they may not be particularly suited. Students also gain an understanding of what’s expected of them and what it takes to have a successful career at PSEG.
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