DETROIT, Oct. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- DTE Energy,
Consumers Energy and the Lansing
Board of Water & Light (BWL) are partnering to provide
Michigan students an up-close look
at vibrant career paths with the fourth annual Careers in Energy
Week, proclaimed Oct. 16-20 by Gov. Rick Snyder.
More than 99,000 Michiganders have energy-related jobs, and the
Michigan Workforce Development Agency estimates energy jobs will
grow by 9 percent through 2024. At the same time, as many as 50
percent of workers in Michigan's
utility sector will be eligible to retire within the next
decade.
"There is incredible demand for skilled trade professionals in
Michigan's energy industry,"
said Tracy DiSanto, DTE Energy manager, Workforce Planning and
Analytics, and co-chair of the Michigan Energy Workforce
Development Consortium (MEWDC). "Yet many students aren't exposed
to the high-potential and rewarding career options our industry
offers.
"During Careers in Energy Week, one of our aims is to change
that, to help students gain a mental map of the many careers
available to them in the energy industry," DiSanto said.
Michigan energy companies have
hired more than 2,500 employees since January 2016 and there are more than 1,800 new
energy company jobs in Michigan
each year. At the same time, this year, DTE Energy, Consumers
Energy and BWL will collectively provide nearly 1,000 internship
and co-op jobs for high school and college students to help build
the talent pipeline.
Throughout the week, the partnership will focus on sparking
interest in these opportunities through educational, hands-on
events, including:
- Interactive student tours of DTE Energy, Consumers
Energy and Lansing Board of Water
& Light training facilities, giving students hands-on
experience with skill-based energy careers. This year features
visits at nine training facilities throughout the state.
- Distribution of Take Action energy efficiency
kits to elementary and secondary school students to facilitate
conversations around the energy industry, safety and energy
efficiency.
- College recruitment across Michigan for co-ops, internships and
full-time positions.
- In partnership with the MEWDC, the energy companies are
launching the first-ever statewide welding competition for Career
Technical Education welding programs at all Michigan high schools. The high schoolers will
be challenged to create a Michigan- and energy-themed metal structure,
judged by welders in the industry. The winning team/individual will
take home a cash prize, with the top three earning a new welding
machine for their school.
"A strong talent pipeline is key to building and
sustaining Michigan's energy industry," said Amber
Fogarty, learning facilitator for Consumers Energy and Career
Awareness Task Force Lead for the MEWDC. "Careers in Energy Week is
all about generating excitement for jobs in an often-overlooked
industry, and creating meaningful career pathways for
students."
The Michigan Energy Workforce Development Consortium is an
industry-led partnership of more than 50 organizations dedicated to
addressing current and future workforce issues that are crucial to
building and sustaining Michigan's
energy industry. MEWDC recently created Michigan's 17th career cluster in
energy, enabling high schools and community colleges to incorporate
energy-related courses in their curriculum. DTE Energy and
Consumers Energy support energy education efforts at schools and
nonprofit groups through annual Foundation contributions of more
than $5.5 million.
About DTE Energy
DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company
involved in the development and management of energy-related
businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include an
electric utility serving 2.2 million customers in Southeastern Michigan and a natural gas
utility serving 1.2 million customers in Michigan. The DTE Energy portfolio includes
non-utility energy businesses focused on power and industrial
projects, natural gas pipelines, gathering and storage, and energy
marketing and trading. Information about DTE Energy is available at
dteenergy.com, twitter.com/dte_energy and
facebook.com/dteenergy.
About Consumers Energy
Consumers Energy is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE:
CMS), providing natural gas and electricity to 6.7 million of
the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula
counties.
About Lansing Board of Water
& Light
The Lansing Board of Water
& Light is a municipally owned public utility dating back to
1885, when Lansing citizens
approved building a water system. Electricity was added to the list
of utility services in 1892, steam heat in 1919 and hilled water in
2001. BWL's mission is to provide safe, reliable and affordable
utility products and services to our over 97,000 electric and
55,000 water customers throughout the greater Lansing area.
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SOURCE DTE Energy