Teaching kids today more about science and math is critical if we are going to have prequalified ready talent for tomorrow’s energy organizations. Yet we have good reason to wonder if our education system is up to the task. Since 2002, at SOS Intl we have helped over 1000 energy organizations train over 7400 adults as operators, power marketers and engineers in the standards and procedures for reliably operating the NA power grid. Yet in this “New Normal” 10% unemployment economy – where every one of our clients has at least one operations and one engineering opening – right now or any day now, very few employers are hiring. Go figure.
Any one working today, with health insurance, is hanging on. Well crafted plans for retiring at an age certain seem to have gone out the door as more and more neighbors, kids and grandkids fear or get laid off, or struggle to find work. Thousands of college graduates and talented veterans are scampering to land that first job in an arena/sector where they want to build a career. As months go by, in many cities and states – finding any meaningful job has become a struggle.
Meanwhile, savings for retirement have dwindled, 401(k)’s have become 201(k)’s and plans for selling the family home to downsize or relocate to warmer climes have all gone out the window or at least been put on the shelf. Borrowers can’t get loans and sellers still can’t believe new normal home values or refuse to accept new normal prices. The home sales market will take years to self-correct.
In the energy industry, the number of talented professionals with skills, knowledge, experience and the numbers (age + service) to walk out the door at thousands of munis, co-ops, public and private power companies is building like pressure behind New Orleans levees. This has the makings for the perfect storm.
When the economy rebounds, and it will – slowly but surely, as stimulus monies, new technologies and increasing need for more generation, better integration of renewables and electric vehicles bring new means of storage, distributed generation, and a resurgence in safe clean nuclear power comes with smart grid load management and new approaches, old energy organizations will need to begin hiring.
At the same time there is a well known problem brewing in our education systems – no place is this case better made than in this dramatic wonderful and entertaining video.
Learning Without Frontiers – Sir Ken Robinson
At PReP Intl we are already beginning to carry the message to K-12, working with Community Colleges and University’s and welcome the opportunity to develop new scholarship and prequalification programs with our clients and partners to prepare tomorrow’s generations for the Energy Technology (ET) Revolution. The power of energy will soon become clearer. The challenge is to provide solutions for both what ails education while rebuilding our infrastructure to meet tomorrow’s needs. We need to put Americans back to work trained and ready for work in power.
Hey not a bad first blog, Matt! We always knew you’d get into this eventually! I really enjoyed that video, it was very insightful and entertaining! Say how can I get one of those PReP golf hats?
Thanks. Connecting the dots between public education K-12 and the next generation of energy workers has many levels. Some thought leaders in the industry recognize it takes years to make even the best EE grads from the best universities effective in today’s utilities. If some visionaries like Friedman are correct that Energy Technology (ET) will change the world, the economy and our lives more than the Information Technology (IT) era did, then emphasizing math and science and introducing ET concepts in K-12 will become increasingly important. Over time Middle, HS, community colleges and the Military might do well to integrate ET fundamentals in their curriculum too… Will get you a lucky PReP Intl golf hat – no problem. (Guaranteed to improve your score 3-4 strokes in both regular and disc golf!) Happy Holidays.
Looks like you are continuing to do some great stuff in the field of training for and protecting our energy grid. Keep up the good work.
David Barnhardt
There is no doubt that the storm is coming and I think to some degree it is already limiting America’s energy innovation. As someone looking for a job in the industry I was amazed by the number of engineering jobs that were currently open. The situation is even more bleak for the energy industry when you take into account the fact that many graduating with the needed skills would prefer to work in the more alluring computer industry.
Given this situation I think the strategy of talking to kids at a young age is necessary. Some energy companies understand this ( http://goo.gl/BnX1n ) and some probably have yet to see the light. I can think of several other strategies energy companies could implement to fill these positions. There is no doubt that these companies must take action soon.
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