ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.,
July 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/
-- Duke Energy is investing $734,000 in strategic workforce development and
educational programs in Florida.
The Duke Energy Foundation grants will help job seekers and
students who are members of underrepresented groups, such as women
and minorities, to prepare for employment, primarily in the
energy sector. This support will further bolster and expand the
state's existing skilled workforce.
"These grants support vital programs and help develop a diverse
workforce needed to strengthen our communities and economies today
and in the future,"
said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president.
One of this year's recipients is the University of Florida and its Department of
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. The university is receiving a
$100,000 grant to create the Energy
Sustainability, Technology and Resiliency Testing Hub and
Certificate Program.
"We greatly appreciate Duke Energy's generosity and foresight in
making this gift," said Dr. Jonathan
Scheffe, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace
engineering at the University of
Florida. "It will enable an exciting new pathway for
students who want to build an engineering career in energy
sustainability and resiliency. Students will learn about
state-of-the-art, climate-friendly technologies that reflect the
future needs of energy."
The university plans to use the grant to provide scholarship
opportunities for students who are earning a Sustainable and
Resilient Energy Engineering Certificate at the University of Florida's Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering.
All of the grants are administered through the Duke Energy
Foundation, which is investing in workforce programs in the energy
sector to help build the next generation workforce, as well as
create access to training and job skills programs that meet
community needs today.
Grant Recipients, Programs and Awards
Statewide:
- Florida Chapter of American Association of Blacks in Energy –
10th Annual Youth Energy Academy, Black Energy Awareness Month
initiative and scholarships ($28,000)
Greater Tampa Bay
area:
- AmSkills Inc. – AmSkills High School Pre-apprenticeship Program
($23,000)
- Citrus County Education Foundation – Foundation for Success
Projects ($6,000)
- Florida Polytechnic University Foundation – Transformer and
Transformer Stations for new Cybersecurity Engineering Program
($25,000)
- Pasco-Hernando State College Foundation – Elevating Engineering
Achievement, Career Attainment and Minority Student Readiness in
Pasco and Hernando Counties ($40,000)
- Pinellas County Urban League Inc. – Duke Energy Lineworker
Diversity Initiative ($15,000)
- Project Prosper – A financial literacy program tailored to the
unique needs of refugees and immigrants ($10,000)
- St. Petersburg College Foundation –
Electrical Lineworker Program ($50,000)
- University of South Florida
Foundation – Call Me MISTER initiative aimed at increasing the
number of male teachers of color in local elementary schools
($50,000)
- South Florida State College Hardee Campus – Increasing Training
Opportunities for Electrical Lineworker Students by Expanding
Training Capacity and Improving Safety ($30,000)
Greater Orlando
area:
- Adult Literacy League Inc. – Creating a Stronger Workforce
Through Improved Literacy Program ($10,000)
- Boys and Girls Club of Central
Florida – Workforce Alliance for Youth ($20,000)
- Boys and Girls Club of Volusia
County – Junior Staff Program ($9,960)
- Central Florida Urban League –
Workforce Upskilling and Reskilling Program ($10,000)
- Education Foundation of Osceola
County – Career Pipeline ($20,000)
- Foundation for Seminole State
College – Workforce Jumpstart 2021 ($25,000)
- Hispanic Heritage Fund of Metro Orlando – Engineering
scholarships and student programming ($24,000)
- Lake-Sumter State College Foundation – Drone, Relay Tech and
Lineworker Training Program for Energy Sector Workers ($75,000)
- University of Central Florida –
Support for College of Engineering and Computer Science Projects:
Girls Excelling in Math and Science mentorship program, DE&I
program and Senior Design Projects ($75,000)
- Valencia College Foundation – Scholarships and Outreach for the
Valencia College, Accelerated
Skills Training, Electric Powerline Technician Program ($50,000)
Greater
Tallahassee/Gainesville area:
- Boys and Girls Club of North Central Florida – BGC Energy Drone
Program ($22,500)
- Career Source North Florida – Power
and Energy Program ($10,000)
- Education Foundation of Gulf
County – Science STEMulation ($5,000)
- University of Florida – Energy
Sustainability, Technology and Resiliency Testing Hub and
Certificate Program ($100,000)
Duke Energy Foundation
The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to
meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and
work. The Foundation contributes more than $30 million annually in charitable gifts and is
funded by Duke Energy shareholder dollars. More information about
the Foundation can be found at duke-energy.com/foundation.
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in
Charlotte, N.C., is one of
America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities
serve 7.9 million customers in North
Carolina, South Carolina,
Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 51,000
megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6
million customers in North
Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,500
people.
Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy strategy to
create a smarter energy future for its customers and communities –
with goals of at least a 50 percent carbon reduction by 2030 and
net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The company is a top U.S.
renewable energy provider, on track to operate or purchase 16,000
megawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2025. The company also is
investing in major electric grid upgrades and expanded battery
storage, and exploring zero-emitting power generation technologies
such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.
Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2021 "World's Most Admired
Companies" list and Forbes' "America's Best Employers" list. More
information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke
Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos
and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about
people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues.
Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and
Facebook.
Contact: Allison Barker
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
Cell: 304-553-9104
Twitter: @DE_AllisonB
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SOURCE Duke Energy