Authored by Frank Canavan, Director, State Affairs, American Gas Association
One of the hallmarks of a strong community is the ability to create opportunity for the next generation. A joint initiative between Peoples Gas and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is doing just that through the Peoples Gas Bright Futures U program. The initiative provides CPS students with classroom and hands-on experience in the energy industry. Students who complete the program have jobs waiting for them when they graduate high school.
Earlier this spring a new cohort of 76 high school juniors gathered at Peoples Gas training facility to take the first step in a program designed to launch a potential future career in the energy industry. Many of the students who complete the initial phase of Bright Futures U will go on to work as paid summer interns at Peoples Gas. At the same time, a group of high school seniors met at the training facility as part of the program’s third and final phase. These 17 students now have a direct path into the Chicago workforce with most, if not all, students offered positions as project workers at Peoples Gas upon high school graduation.
“What these young men and women are learning now can serve as the foundation for lifelong careers,” says Laura Budzinski, manager of technical training for Peoples Gas. “Our partnership with Chicago Public Schools is a unique way to invest in students’ futures and strengthen our communities with a workforce that reflects all who live here.”
“This program trains young Chicagoans for good-paying jobs and lifelong skills,” says Nick Passarelli, president of Local 18007 Gas Workers, the union that represents Peoples Gas project workers. “The students are learning work that’s critical to Chicago’s energy infrastructure, to keeping our neighborhoods vibrant, and to their own careers.”
And the program is already bearing fruit, with past participants already rising through the ranks at Peoples Gas. Four current, full-time Peoples Gas team members joined the company in recent years through Bright Futures U and each have since been promoted into a higher role within the company. On June 30, nine program graduates officially started work as employees of Peoples Gas and another six will be hired this fall. The training initiative is part of the Peoples Gas Energy Career Academy, which develops the Chicago workforce through multiple career pipelines.
Visit the NLC Strategic Partnerships page to learn more about the organizations like the American Gas Association dedicated to making NLC the premier resource for local governments.
Header photo courtesy of American Gas Association
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