Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives

Press Release: Iowa's Electric Cooperatives Participate in Careers in Energy Week Oct. 14-20, 2013 (copy)

October 14, 2013

Press Release: Iowa's Electric Cooperatives Participate in Careers in Energy Week Oct. 14-20, 2013

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact:

Brian Kading, Executive Vice President - 515-727-8941
bkading@iowarec.org

Regi Goodale, Director of Regulatory Affairs - 515-727-8949
rgoodale@iowarec.org


Iowa’s Electric Cooperatives Participate in Careers in Energy Week Oct. 14-20, 2013

          DES MOINES, Iowa – Oct. 14, 2013 – Iowa’s electric cooperatives joined Iowa’s other utilities in a signing of a proclamation by Gov. Terry Branstad at the Iowa State Capitol to declare October 14-20, 2013 as Careers in Energy Week

          Careers in Energy Week is a nationwide effort to increase the public’s awareness about energy careers. In Iowa, approximately 21 percent of energy employees will be eligible to retire in the next five years. For Iowa’s electric cooperatives, the numbers are even more staggering – 32 percent of employees are currently eligible to retire now with pension benefits, and 60 percent of employees are within 10 years of eligibility to retire with pension benefits.
 
           “We applaud Gov. Branstad’s recognition today of this critical workforce issue,” said Brian Kading, executive vice president of the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives. “It’s critical that we reach out to the public to build awareness that jobs in energy fields offer stable, rewarding career options.”

           Energy-related industries provide careers to thousands of Iowans, including line workers, gas technicians, engineers, customer service representatives, accountants, information technology professionals, power plant operators and management team members.
Iowa’s electric cooperatives are working to develop a talent pipeline to develop and recruit workers to replace retiring workers, ensure future reliability, and maintain a highly skilled and talented workforce to the challenges of a growing and evolving economy.

          “Energy is integral to almost everything people do – from powering business and industry to powering communication and entertainment devices. It is the catalyst for a thriving economy and an excellent quality of life,” Kading added.

          The Center for Energy Workforce Development is a nonprofit consortium of electric natural gas and nuclear utilities and their associations, including the Edison Electric Institute, American Gas Association, Nuclear Energy Institute and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. CEWD was formed to help utilities work together to develop solutions to the coming workforce shortage in the utility industry. CEWD and its member companies have worked together to create Careers in Energy Week. More information is available at www.cewd.org

          In 2012, governor proclamations to declare Careers in Energy Week were signed in the states of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Virginia and Washington.

          The Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives represents 34 distribution cooperatives in Iowa and six generation and transmission cooperatives providing electricity to approximately 650,000 Iowans in each of the state’s 99 counties. Iowa’s rural electric cooperatives are part of a national network of 1,000 electric cooperatives. These utilities, which serve 25 million Americans in 46 states, work together through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, a Washington, D.C.-based service organization formed in 1942. Information about Iowa’s rural electric cooperatives is available on the association’s website, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages, which can be accessed via www.iowarec.org.

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