POWER UP!Engaging Business for Student

and Program Success

Jennifer GroveGulf Power Company

Florida Energy Workforce ConsortiumNorthwest Florida NGLC

Gulf Power Company Subsidiary of Southern Company

Our Involvement Summary• Opened first comprehensive career academy here at

WFHS in 2001; have replicated in different forms since then

• Founding member of NWFL NGLC – continue to serve on Steering Committee

• Founding member of new Bay County NGLC• Lead FEWC and work with other state energy

workforce consortia with focus on replicating energy career academies

• Serve on FACTE Career Academy Advisory Board

Gulf Power Academy Class of 2010

First major partnership to develop qualified, applicant pool opened August, 2001

1.1, 1.2, & 3.1: The Gulf Power Academy

Gulf Power Academy at WFHS:

• First major partnership to develop qualified, diverse applicant pool opened August, 2001

• Based on NCCER Industrial Electricity curriculum – articulation agreement with Pensacola Junior College

• Graduated first class in May, 2005

• Significant investment of employees and resources

• Have hired 40 graduates from this program

Gulf Power Academy • Assisted in development of curriculum

• Set overhead poles with lines & transformer in classroom lab area

• Set up lecture classroom with models, experiments, posters, banners, etc.

• Created videos of employees/ positions for use in class

• Donation of 4kW solar array panel through partnership with Florida Solar Energy Center

Gulf Power Academy 9th & 10th Grade

• Students get shirts, hard hats, safety glasses

• NCCER Core and Electrical I and II

• Gulf Power employees serve as guest instructors

• Take field trips to Plant Crist & Pine Forest Distribution facilities and Operations Center

Gulf Power Academy 11th Grade

• Instruction, projects and classroom work more in depth on Industrial Electricity

• Gulf Power employees serve as guest instructors• Begin Capstone Project – research topic of interest

related to electricity (build project in 12th grade)• Qualify for ACE

Gulf Power Academy 12th Grade• Complete NCCER Curriculum Requirements

• Build and present Capstone Project

• Take energy industry pre-employment tests (EEI)

• ACE (Advanced Career Experience) and Mentoring Program

• Graduation Dinner at Gulf Power (with mentors, parents and school staff)

Advanced Career Experience (ACE)• Host 13 – 25 senior students each year, from GPA, Pre-engineering,

and Cox, and other programs

• Paid minimum wage (after pass one pre-employment test)

• Report to Gulf Power on odd calendar days instead of to school

• First semester is group training:– Target Zero Safety Overview

– Complete NCCER curriculum with our trainers (PLC’s, Motor Controls, Specialty Transformers, etc.)

– Student of the Business Fundamentals

– Civil Treatment/ Interviewing Skills/ Resume Writing

– Power Systems Overview

Advanced Career Experience (ACE)• OJT in jobs of student’s choice

– Plant – Meter Shop – Line Crews – Customer Service – Engineering – Substation electricians– Accounting– Corporate Communications

• Carried out under Partial Waiver to Hazardous Occupations Section of Child Labor Laws with tremendous focus on Safety!

Each student receives individualized

schedule rotating them through positions of

interest to them

Gulf Power Academy Mentoring Program• 12th Grade ACE students matched with Gulf Power

Employee (consideration given to job responsibilities/ experience, & individual characteristics)

• Provides students direction, guidance, and a direct link to one Gulf Power employee

• Provides Gulf Power an opportunity to make a determination about each student’s employability

• In addition to FL diploma, successful Gulf Power Academy students graduate with:– A Gulf Power Academy certificate of completion,– An NCCER national credential, – Up to 15 hours of college credit, – Test-qualified for entry-level energy industry careers, and– An awareness/knowledge of our industry, company, processes,

people, & equipment

Key Points

• Gulf Power Academy seniors have significantly higher success rates on industry pre-employment tests than non-program job candidates (98% compared to 50 – 60%)

• Prepares students for work AND college – 50% go on to pursue 4 year degrees, primarily in engineering

• We have hired 40 graduates!

Our Metrics

Strand 3

3.1: Engaging business in Master Plan

• Critical to directly engage industry, chambers, economic and workforce development partners in the strategic, or “Master Planning” process (brings alignment and resources)

• Has to be a “shared vision” with identified metrics across educators and above stakeholder groups – should tie into/feed existing plans of stakeholders

MUST ALL OWN IT!

3.2: Business to Support & Sustain

• Keep it evergreen – reflect economic changes!

• Bring educators to industry economic events and vice versa

• Collaborate on district and state advocacy – have direct, open and speedy communications with business so they can show up to represent

Make it easy for business to:

• Drive curriculum content• Keep program current• Bring industry resources into the labs• Align secondary to post-secondary• Provide pathway to employment for students• Engage in the programs (guest speakers,

hosting tours, student internships/teacher externships, etc.)

How?

• Ensure meetings have work to be done! (Don’t just talk to business. Listen!)

• Cultivate business leadership of councils.• Make sure to get business to the programs.• Help the councils take on projects of their

own – summer programs, internships, etc.• Link those councils into industry talent

development efforts.

3.1 – 3.3: NWFL NGLC Sample:• Senior Business Advisory Council• Seven Dual-County (Escambia & Santa Rosa) Advisory Councils:

– Construction Advisory Council - Law Advisory Council– Culinary Advisory Council - Health Care Advisory Council– Engineering Advisory Council - IT Advisory Council– Multimedia Advisory Council

• 250 businesses engaged in advisory councils• Initially, met at least three times annually – shifting this year to

higher impact and fewer meetings with additional opportunities to engage with council efforts between meetings.

• Councils take on their own projects

3.3: Energy Industry Engagement

• PARTNER and COLLABORATE!• Work locally, regionally, at state, and at national

levels to brand our industry careers and create talent pipeline programs

• Focus on key areas:- State & National Outreach - Career Awareness

- Policy & Education - Untapped Labor Sources

- Funding & Resources

Energy Competency Model

Plant OperatorElectrical Technician

Mechanical Technician

Instrument & Control

Technician

Alternate Fuel Technicians

LineworkerSubstation Technician

EngineeringTechnician

RelayTechnician

Natural Gas Technology

Business Fundamentals

TeamworkFollowingDirections

Planning, Organizing & Scheduling

Problem SolvingDecision Making

EthicsEmployability &

EntrepreneurshipSkills

Working with BasicHand & Power Tools

& Technology

MathematicsLocating,

Reading & Using Information

Writing Listening SpeakingEngineering &

TechnologyCritical & Analytical Thinking

Science Information Technology

Interpersonal Skills

Integrity Professionalism Reputation MotivationDependability & Reliability

Self- Development

Flexibility & Adaptability

Ability To Learn

Non-Nuclear Generation(Coal, Natural Gas, Oil, Hydro, Solar,

Wind, Biofuel, Geothermal)Nuclear Generation

Electric Transmission &

Distribution

Gas Transmission & Distribution

Tier 5 – Industry-Wide Technical

Tier 4 – Industry-Wide Technical Competencies

Tier 3 – Workplace Competencies

Tier 2 – Academic Competencies

Tier 1 – Personal Effectiveness

Stackable Credentials

Tier 6–8 Job Specific Skills/Credentials•Associate Degree•Boot Camp / Apprenticeship for College Credit•Accelerated Associate Degree

Tier 4–5 Industry Fundamentals•Energy Industry Fundamentals Certificate

Tier 1–3 Basic Training•Energy Industry Employability Skills Certificate•National Career Readiness Certificate

Occupation-Specific Requirements

Occupation-Specific Technical

Occupation-Specific Knowledge Areas

Industry-Specific Technical

Industry-Wide Technical

Workplace Requirements

Academic Requirements

Personal Effectiveness

www.getintoenergy.com

3.4: How industries can support: FEWC example• Partnered with Florida Department of Education to gain

approval for the addition of an Energy Industry Cluster - FIRST IN NATION!

• Partnered with FDOE to develop new energy curriculum frameworks and courses (developing course materials)

• Replicated energy career academies across state• In 2011, will implement Florida Energy Teachers Network• Career Awareness (science fair, Skills USA, SSS, etc.)

3.6: Engaging the Broader Community

• Co-develop the “elevator speech” and the business case – target media

• Have business speak at all open houses, family nights, etc.

• Implement teacher externships – Math in Energy Careers Day

• Have Advisory Councils implement projects: E3 and LEED for Youth Construction

3.7: Shared Accountability

• Open communications are vital – (response time)

• Must work at program, district, region & state level together

• Business has to get “in the weeds” with education to truly support

• Air cover goes both ways

Critical Success Factors• True business engagement, for both educators AND students• Focus on integration of academics and CTE – BOTH

DIRECTIONS: Reinforce CORE in CTE and teach in context in academic classrooms!

• Raise business awareness of key education challenges (FTE squeeze, CAPE, schedules, etc.)

• Bring industry workforce development standards/ programs to your advisory councils – they may not be involved.

EDUCATE AND INNOVATE TOGETHER!

Jennifer Grove

jlgrove@southernco.com

www.fewc.org

www.getintoenergy.com