Energy professionals are proudly leading the country toward attaining decarbonization goals while maintaining energy reliability, resiliency, safety and affordability.
And the energy industry is growing. According to the Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD), more than 6 million people work in energy careers in the United States but an additional several hundred thousand employees will be hired over the next three years. Those candidates will have a variety of skillsets, education levels and experience.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz recently recognized Great River Energy alongside other companies in the state’s energy industry sector by signing a proclamation for Careers in Energy Week, observed from Oct. 17-24 this year.
“Energy-related industries provide careers to thousands of Minnesotans, ranging from line workers to engineers, customer service representatives to accountants, chemists to environmentalists, and power plant operators to executives,” the proclamation states. “And energy-related industries need new workers to provide a bridge into the future by replacing retiring workers and maintaining a highly skilled and talented workforce to meet the new challenges of a growing economy.”
Great River Energy promotes careers in the industry through open houses, school fairs, mock interview sessions and by participating in the annual Career & College Conference for Girls — an event that focuses on helping girls in grades 9-12 explore and learn about opportunities. The cooperative also awards scholarships to help graduating seniors further their education in energy trades, engineering and environmental fields of study.
“To get and keep students engaged in our industry, it’s important to show them how they can align their interests, skills and values with energy careers,” said Heather Bittle, talent and outreach partner at Great River Energy.
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