Partnership with PG&E prepares students for a bright future
PowerPathway™ student Maria Toledoambriz with Dr. Cynthia E. Azari, Fresno City College President
A special ceremony took place this spring at the PG&E Clubhouse Building, as 28 military veterans completed a new program that will enable them to work in the utility and energy sectors. The PowerPathway™ program was created and launched in 2008 in partnership with Fresno City College. The program trains veterans, who were honorably discharged within the last four years, for jobs to maintain and repair electrical and natural gas lines, build and maintain substations, and work system control panels.
“PowerPathway™ is possible due to the extensive collaboration with labor, industry, the workforce development system, and our educational partners, especially Fresno City College.”–Greg Pruett
“We are extremely pleased with this new opportunity for our students,” said Fresno City College President Dr. Cynthia E. Azari. “There was 100 percent participation, and all five branches of the military were represented in this class,” she said.
PG&E funded the program in order to create a pool of well-qualified applicants for positions that will open in the future. “We expect to have half of our 12,000 skilled workers retire in the next five to ten years,” said Keith Lovgren, senior program manager for PG&E.
Fresno City College instructors teach math, reading, and basic electricity classes. Retired PG&E employees, hired by the college, instruct the students on safety, excavation, environmental hazards, and specialized technical topics.
“PowerPathway™ is possible due to the extensive collaboration with labor, industry, the workforce development system, and our educational partners, especially Fresno City College,” said Greg Pruett, PG&E, Senior Vice President, Corporate Relations. “All of the graduates in this class are veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan,” said Pruett.
One of those graduates, 23-year-old Maria Toledoambriz, served two tours of duty in Iraqi–one for seven months in 2004 and the other in 2006 for four months. “I started back to college last year seeking a degree in biology, but now, after completing this program, I want to earn a degree in mechanical engineering,” said Toledoambriz. “I have always liked math and science and really enjoy working outdoors,” she said. “An engineering degree would allow me to grow in a company like PG&E,” she added.
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