The goal of LUYF is to give students a new perspective on utilities by offering EPCE’s energy-related online education, tours of the local utility and a paid summer internship at Connecticut Power & Light, a subsidiary of Northeast Utilities. Even though the internship started with “a lot of rules and safety procedures” that he’d never heard of, things got more interesting throughout the internship as Brian saw first hand what utility workers actually do. He met linemen, plant supervisors, and even the president of Yankee Gas, another Northeast subsidiary.  He even had fun learning how certain utility equipment works, and in the end Brian admitted he had a good time and learned a lot.

As he started his junior year, Brian began the industry-related online courses that are part of LUYF. At the end of the school year, he was chosen to work as a student supervisor during the second round of summer internships and successfully assisted NU’s staff in running the internship program.

Thanks to the mathematics education he received in the LUYF program, Brian improved his Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test scores dramatically, which determines an applicant’s qualification for the United States armed forces. Brian is now cleared to enter the military, a goal he’s had for a long time, as a military electrician.

The program changed his life, gave him the foundation he needed to consider electric utilities as a career after his military service, and provided him with valuable skills that he wouldn’t have otherwise acquired.

“I strongly suggest this program for anyone who is interested in not just the money, but in being part of the electric utilities industry,” says Brian.

So does Brian solve the industry’s pipeline problem?  Not entirely - but it’s a great start, and a sign of a shift in thinking. 

Brynn Downing is a Marketing Assistant at EPCE, the Energy Providers Coalition for Education. EPCE has worked for over a decade to bring the energy industry and education providers together, and create meaningful training and education.

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