August 2025 Newsletter
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Has Your Company Registered for EnergyConnector Yet?
- Next Gen Energy Career Blueprint Launches in Time for School Year
- Hire PowHER Initiative and PowHER Hours Webinar Debut
- CEWD Announces the 2025 Energy Bowl: New Challenge for College Students
- CEWD Drives Awareness of Energy Careers Through Special Media Outreach Day
- New Help for Employers from the DOL on Administering USERRA
- Registration is Open for CEWD's 2025 Workforce Development Summit
- What's Up? News Updates
Has Your Company Registered for EnergyConnector Yet?
CEWD is urging energy employers and labor partners to register for EnergyConnector this month. This new online platform will serve as a digital matchmaking tool to connect educators and industry to spur expansion and adoption of energy curriculum. If you are ready to stand with educators in connecting the next generation of students to energy career paths, enroll in EnergyConnector now before we open the platform to the academic community this fall.
Additional resources related to the new Energy and Natural Resources Career Cluster for industry use can be found here. Resources for educators can be found here. There’s still plenty of time to take action though the month is coming to a close. Next month we will Gain Ground in September.
Next Gen Energy Career Blueprint Launches in Time for School Year
As students prepare their backpacks and teachers dust-off lesson plans, CEWD has a brand new back-to-school resource available for companies to have at the ready for career fairs and classroom presentations: the Next Gen Energy Career Blueprint. This new resource, enabled by a grant from the Berkshire Hathaway Energy Foundation, has been designed for high school students, to help them prepare their school experience for successful entry points in energy. Check it out here.Hire PowHER Initiative and PowHER Hours Webinar Debut
CEWD is proud to announce the establishment of the first phase of programming for the Hire PowHER initiative to attract women to energy careers, especially the skilled trades. Check out the new Hire PowHER messaging here and information on PowHER Hour Webinars, virtual programs for women considering the trades here. Have a platform to connect with women considering the trades? Help spread the word. Let’s have standing room only in the virtual house! The Hire PowHER programming has been enabled by a grant from the Berkshire Hathaway Energy Foundation.CEWD Announces the 2025 Energy Bowl: New Challenge for College Students
Exploring new connection points for students and energy careers? The new Energy Bowl will scratch that itch. The student challenge, targeting post-secondary learners, invites teams of students to respond to in-depth prompts to respond to real-world scenarios that are at the heart of the sector’s current realities. Energy companies are encouraged to promote the contest to schools in their jurisdiction and invite them to participate in a presentation of their recommendations. Learn more here.CEWD Drives Awareness of Energy Careers Through Special Media Outreach Day
CEWD hosted a Satellite Media Tour in July, building awareness in various media markets across the country. Through 2,700 placements on TV, radio, online, and distributed content, the messaging drove 384M impressions of CEWD generated messaging about the merits of careers in energy. Industry spokespeople, Gabriella Colon of National Grid and Ignacio Estella of Avangrid, delivered compelling messaging that increased traffic to CEWD’s career site, GetIntoEnergy, by 10%. Read the press release here.
New Help for Employers from the DOL on Administering USERRA
Employers can now get help if they have questions or problems related to hiring or re-hiring veterans. This help, called “technical assistance” gives advice on how the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) works and how the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) enforces it. USERRA is a federal law that protects the civilian employment and reemployment rights of service members who leave their jobs to serve in the military. To make protections under the USERRA clearer and easier to navigate, DOL VETS introduced opinion letters—official, written responses from VETS that explain how USERRA applies to real-world situations. As an employer, you can now get tailored guidance directly from their team. Request an opinion letter.
Registration is Open for CEWD's 2025 Workforce Development Summit
What's Up? News Updates
August 25, 2025– According to a news release from AES Indiana, the company will invest $375,000 over the next five years to support Marian University’s Riverside Education Innovation District initiative. Officials said this program will help meet “urgent needs” on the near northwest side of Indianapolis.
Journey of a Lineman: From Education to Power Line Safety
August 25, 2025– “I originally thought I was going to go to a four-year college because that is what is preached to us when we are younger. I realized that a four-year degree wasn’t something I was interested in, so I started looking into one-year programs at DMACC, and line school really interested me.”
New Electric Operations Leader At UI Hopes To Inspire Women And Girls To Pursue Utilities Careers
August 6, 2025– A long-time employee with years of leadership experience has been promoted to senior director of electric operations at United Illuminating, the company said in a news release.
Tennessee Valley Authority Providing Funds for STEM Education
August 4, 2025– Across the seven-state region served by TVA, teachers can now apply for up to $5,000 in grant funding for STEM education. The deadline to apply is September 15th.
National Grid STEM Program Expands Energy Literacy Access
August 4, 2025– National Grid and Syracuse University have launched a multi-year partnership to equip Syracuse City School District high schoolers with immersive STEM and energy literacy education—at no cost to families.
CEWD is reporting important news and updates through the CEWD Connection to keep readers abreast of energy workforce headlines. If you have any article suggestions, please email [email protected].
