MORRISTOWN, N.J., Oct. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Jersey Central
Power & Light (JCP&L) celebrated "New Jersey Careers in
Utilities Week" today with a demonstration event in Morristown for public officials showcasing the
special training and equipment needed to help provide safe and
reliable electric service to customers.
JCP&L President Jim Fakult
and New Jersey Board of Public
Utilities Commissioner Joseph
Fiordaliso welcomed guests, including municipal officials
and community leaders, to a company facility in
Morristown.
Employees from JCP&L's line, substation and meter reading
departments participated in skills demonstrations and displayed the
equipment they use on a daily basis to safely perform their
jobs. Several employees who graduated from JCP&L's Power
Systems Institute Program, a workforce development partnership with
Brookdale Community College and
Raritan Valley Community College
created to train line workers and substation personnel, also
attended.
"Careers in Utilities Week offers an opportunity to raise
awareness of the wide variety of jobs that are essential to
providing safe and reliable utility service to New Jersey residents and businesses," said
Commissioner Fiordaliso. "Many careers in the New Jersey utility sector offer stable
employment, and with an estimated 50 percent retirement rate over
the next five years, it is imperative that we begin to attract and
train the workers of tomorrow to ensure reliable utility service in
the future."
The event included:
- Pole climbing demonstrations
- Safety exercises
- Overhead lines and substation equipment demonstrations
- Special aerial truck with a boom and bucket that can extend to
197 feet and is used for work on transmission lines and
structures.
"Even as our job market continues to evolve, what doesn't change
is that JCP&L line workers and other support personnel always
will be needed to ensure that electricity is delivered to customers
in a safe and reliable manner," said JCP&L President
Jim Fakult. "By supporting
Careers in Utilities Week, we hope prospective employees realize
that working for a utility is not just a job, but rather a
rewarding career choice, with good benefits, that can be a great
source of pride in the communities where they live."
During the event, Fakult announced that JCP&L's Power System
Institute Program will be holding information sessions for
prospective students for the fall 2017 program in November.
The sessions will take place on Thursday,
November 3, 2016, from 6-8
p.m. at Brookdale Community
College, 765 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, N.J.; and on Thursday, November 10, 2016, from 6-8 p.m. at Raritan Valley
Community College, 118 Lamington Road, Branchburg, N.J. Tuition, required
books, lab fees and special clothing and tools will be paid by
JCP&L for qualifying students. Information about future
enrollment in the Power Systems Institute is available at
www.firstenergycorp.com/psi or by calling 800-829-6801.
JCP&L is a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE).
JCP&L serves 1.1 million New
Jersey customers in the counties of Burlington, Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union
and Warren. Follow JCP&L
on Twitter @JCP_L, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JCPandL or
online at www.jcp-l.com.
Editor's Note: Photos of JCP&L's "New Jersey
Careers in Utilities Week" event are available for download on
Flickr.
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jcpl-celebrates-careers-in-utilities-week-with-demonstration-event-for-public-officials-300348723.html
SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.