Creating Pathways to Electrical Utility Careers

Richmond Community College

Investigators

Abstract

A 2014 report from Manpower projected that energy jobs will double by 2020, yet a "double squeeze" of an aging workforce and lack of qualified candidates contribute to talent shortages for the industry. A large majority of energy executives agreed that today's energy workforce requires a more complex skill set than it did five years ago and many indicated that today's workers require higher levels of technical competency. Richmond Community College (RCC) will expand its technician education offerings for the electric utility industry to include additional degree programs and will offer dual enrollment pathways to begin to meet industry needs. There is a growing body of research demonstrating that dual enrollment is correlated with higher graduation rates, higher college enrollment and higher levels of persistence. This project is based on the premise that by increasing enrollment of high school students in dual enrollment pathways, RCC can increase enrollment in engineering technologies programs, increase the percentage of students entering those programs academically prepared, increase persistence rates in those programs, and thereby better meet industry demand for qualified technicians. RCC will create dual enrollment opportunities for area high school students to accelerate completion of college certificates, diplomas, and associate degrees that provide entry-level job skills. The program will strengthen pathways for secondary school students by providing faculty development and instructional resources to ensure that education and training focuses on industry-defined competencies and the latest technology. Project activities include creating two career and technical pathways focused on the electric utility industry, equipping classrooms at an area high school with up-to-date equipment, providing training for RCC faculty who teach relevant career and technical classes at the high school, and enhancing marketing and recruiting efforts by targeting high school students and those individuals likely to influence their career choice including parents, teachers, and counselors.