AVANGRID invests in early-career development for future managers
ORANGE—Within the next five years, nearly one-third of the public utilities management workforce in Connecticut will be eligible to retire, emphasizing an immediate need for a new generation with the knowledge and training to fill their shoes. Southern Connecticut State University, in partnership with Gateway Community College, is offering a first-of-its-kind Public Utilities Management Program, providing an associate’s-to-bachelor’s-degree path for students seeking careers in utility management. AVANGRID supports the program through grants, curriculum development and participation in the university’s Leadership Advisory Council.
Peter Church, AVANGRID’s chief human resources officer, told American Gas, “Some of the challenges we have with our workforce aren’t unique to AVANGRID but extend across the sector. We’ve assessed the skills and demographics of our workforce and look at building out our program to meet those needs. Our intent is to bring in people who can help to sustain the company and meet the increasing needs of our customers.”
Specifically, Church explained, the company focuses on three target groups. “We invest in an early-career engineering program. We then have a program targeting early careers for recent grads. And we continue to invest in and evolve an intern program that brings in students as early as their sophomore year to provide rich experiences for them over time and help them to engage with the organization. All of that means that well before graduation we’re aware of the talent available to us and [that] students feel a part of our organization.”
While Southern Connecticut State is physically close to AVANGRID’s offices, there’s more to the company’s relationship with the school than mere geography. “One of the things we’ve been most impressed with is the quality and focus the university puts on its students and the emphasis they have on broader concepts, like ingenuity and innovation,” Church told us. “To have a university like that near the AVANGRID headquarters is extremely advantageous.
“A number of our employees have come out of the program,” he continued. “They end up being strong ambassadors for the company and the community.”
Church stressed that it’s important for companies to look beyond scholarships when it comes to supporting a worthy institution. “When you offer scholarships, you’re investing in the person and the school, but there’s no formal commitment for the student to become part of your organization. So, we’re looking at how to form relationships with individuals. We’re looking at how we can work with you on paying back your student debt while you’re also contributing to the community through the company. We’re investing in early-career individuals.”
The reason why is the changing shape of the modern workforce. “We’ll see people moving into retirement faster over the next three years than we have in the last six,” Church said. “What isn’t talked about is: How do you manufacture leaders faster than you’ve had to in the past? What are you doing creatively to accelerate exposure and experience for the next generation of leaders and managers? How quickly we manufacture the leaders of tomorrow is one of our biggest challenges. You can’t start early enough on that.”