Web Site Shines Spotlight on Energy Careers
The Minnesota Energy Careers Web site provides a wealth of information for people who are interested in working in the energy field.
By Alessia Leibert
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The Minnesota Energy Careers Web site (www.MnEnergyCareers.org) is Minnesota’s first career information clearinghouse devoted entirely to the energy industry. Visitors can research energy careers, learn about energy education options and find Minnesota energy employers.
The site also provides information on green careers in renewable energy and energy efficiency.
The Web site includes:
- Profiles about the energy industry, including occupations in the field;
- Contact information for energy employers by region;
- Videos and interviews about what it is like to work as an energy auditor, solar panel installer, LEED-certified builder and other energy-related specialists;
- Salaries and hiring demand data for energy occupations by region;
- Easy-to-search database of the most current energy training programs and certifications;
- Student testimonials with facts about having a green degree;
- Examples of green skills and competencies that can give job seekers a competitive edge when applying for work in renewable energy and energy efficient construction;
- Teacher resources, including lesson plans for teaching science, technology, engineering and math skills in high school;
- Interactive polls and quizzes about energy careers; and
- Access to current job postings, including a direct link to www.MinnesotaWorks.net .
The Minnesota Energy Careers Web site is a part of ISEEK (www.iseek.org), whose mission is to provide comprehensive information about careers, education and job resources in Minnesota.
What’s New in the Energy Industry?
Until a short time ago, working in the energy field generally meant doing skilled or unskilled blue-collar work at a power plant or electrical substation. But the industry is undergoing changes. A more typical image now might be men and women in business attire and orange helmets holding a laptop computer or engineers working on a wind turbine in a farm field. What has changed? What does this transformation mean for the energy workforce of the future?
The way society thinks about energy is changing. Increasing demand for electricity is forcing traditional utilities to diversify fuel sources and expand distribution capacity. New technologies will require workers to be more proficient than their predecessors in science, engineering, technology and math. Also, technological progress is gradually transforming energy occupations from “conventional” into “investigative.” This means the work involves fewer set procedures and routines and requires more problem-solving and autonomous decision-making.
Utilities are also facing workforce shortages because of baby boomer retirements. At the same time, not enough students are enrolling in training programs that will qualify them for these specialties. This often results in higher salaries for those who possess the right skills.
To fill training gaps, energy employers are partnering with educational institutions to offer apprenticeships, internships and on-the-job training. They are also helping to develop new curricula and to establish industry-defined credentials. As a result, new degrees are being created to prepare people for working in fields that are increasingly emphasizing energy conservation and management. These new degrees will also open up opportunities for incumbent or displaced workers to upgrade their skills or re-train to transfer into the energy industry from other industries.
Beyond the utilities industry, the need to contain energy costs has opened up many other types of jobs. Since energy services can range anywhere from powering a coffeemaker to lifting off a jet plane, careers that previously would not have been considered part of energy (like microbiologists or architects) are now involved in the energy economy. Also, completely new career specialties are emerging such as facility supervisors, code enforcement administrators and weatherization inspectors.
According to the Web site, some of the energy occupations that are in highest demand in Minnesota right now include industrial machinery mechanics, mechanical engineers, power plant operators, electrical engineers, and electrical power-line installers and repairers. Green energy jobs hold great potential for growth in Minnesota in such areas as building retrofitting, smart grid installation, wind power, solar power and advanced biofuels.
Economic development, workforce development and educational leaders are heavily invested in the successful transformation of the energy sector, acknowledging its strategic role in the overall competitiveness of Minnesota’s economy. If Minnesota succeeds, it could mean simultaneously boosting technological innovation, developing regional talent and getting dislocated workers back to work.
The Minnesota Energy Careers Web site was funded in part by two U.S. Department of Labor grants: a High Growth Job Training Initiative Grant awarded to Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) and a WIRED (Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development) Grant awarded to the Southwest Minnesota FIRST Collaborative.
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