FLINT, Michigan — Consumers Energy is creating new professional work opportunities for residents in Flint and Jackson with the launch of its new
Workforce Development Program initiative earlier this year. This pilot program aims to provide skilled labor training in partnership with Walker-Miller Energy Services for residents interested in careers aligned with Consumers Energy.
Through this program, Consumers Energy hopes to provide training and a road to better employment opportunities for individuals looking for work in the area.
According to Brian Wheeler, Media Relations Specialist at Consumers Energy, “The Flint program has aimed to provide skills for people within the Flint area to enter these fields. The Jackson program, which continues through this month, is focused on people who already work in building trades and are looking for mid-career education and new skills.”
Since its start, building trade employees attending the pilot program in Jackson have become certified in advanced energy efficiency, lead abatement, and other related work. Similarly, the Flint program has graduated nine students, several of whom already have been placed into jobs that they wouldn’t have had the experiences and skills to land career-specific roles.
“Consumers Energy hopes to create opportunities for the people we serve, in the form of jobs right in the communities we serve. Flint is home to many of our coworkers and homes and businesses who turn to us for electricity and natural gas. The same is true for Jackson, which is also our company’s headquarters,” said Wheeler.
By participating in the program, residents in both Flint and Jackson can enhance their employment skills, and gain additional certifications and licenses in fields alongside the energy provider. A weekly stipend is provided to all participants for the full program.
Wheeler also shared that in partnership with Detroit-based Walker-Miller Energy Services, Consumers Energy offers program graduates training in classrooms and on the job before being placed in careers leading weatherization, energy efficiency, and lead abatement work.
“Consumers Energy is thrilled to partner with another Michigan-based company who prioritizes working and building within our own communities. Given the timing, and Walker-Miller’s skill sets, a partnership just made sense,” said Wheeler.
Aside from this effort, Consumers Energy is honoring its mission to '
make life better for the people of Michigan' by leading efforts to help the residents they serve save money by maximizing energy efficiency. Consumers Energy has designed a $600 million energy efficiency plan offering new and growing programs to connect with low-income households over the next two years.
“Consumers Energy is driven by our triple bottom line – people, the planet, and Michigan’s prosperity,” said Wheeler. “This effort has supported all of those goals, providing job skills to people who live in communities we serve, to do work that helps the environment, and in the long term – support the company’s energy savings goals.”
To learn more about the Consumers Energy Workforce Development Program visit: consumersenergy.com/company/careers/career-development
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