Welcome to PowerPathway™
PowerPathway’s vision is to offer a Portfolio of programs aimed at building capacity within the state of California to produce the skilled workers needed by PG&E and the energy and utility industry. The PowerPathway Portfolio includes four separate but interconnected efforts.
PowerPathway: Career Prep
In order to enlarge the talent pool of qualified skilled craftworkers and identify candidates for other hard-to-hire positions, PG&E is working with its community resources to attract and prepare the right people with the right skills at the right time.
- PowerPathway Bridge Programs—In 2008 and early 2009, PG&E offered customized, short-term courses at local community colleges designed to strengthen participants’ candidacy for employment and add to their knowledge of the energy and utility industry. There are no additional Bridge Programs accepting applications at this time.
- PowerPathway Capstone Programs—Provide additional coursework for students who have completed a prerequisite associate degree or certificate. Learn about the Butte College Capstone Welding Program.
- PowerPathway Endorsed Programs—Individuals seeking energy careers can expand on their formal training by completing coursework identified as related to PG&E positions. These programs lead to certificates of completion or associate degrees and are one or two years in length. Learn more about endorsed programs.
- PowerPathway Sourcing—For difficult-to-hire positions, like customer service representative, PG&E works with local community organizations, including Workforce Investment Boards, to recruit and pre-screen potential applicants.
PowerPathway: Industry
Anticipating retirement and diversity trends, and preparing for a carbon-constrained future, PG&E participates in and leads industry efforts to jointly address workforce challenges.
Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD) is a non-profit consortium of electric, natural gas and nuclear utilities and their associations that was formed to help utilities work together on developing solutions to the anticipated workforce shortage in the utility industry.
California Energy & Utility Workforce Consortium is a statewide organization of energy and water utilities, unions, the California State Community College System and the State Workforce Investment Board created to address joint workforce needs. The consortium will a) identify jobs/skills in greatest need in the state; b) partner to improve and/or create training programs; c) build awareness throughout communities of the need for skilled workers; d) increase awareness around the exciting and rewarding careers in the state’s energy and utility industry.
PowerPathway Regional Employer Alliances: In communities where PowerPathway Bridge or Capstone programs are offered, PG&E collaborates with community partners to establish alliances with other regional employers whose complementary hiring needs might lead to their interest in hiring the qualified program graduates.
National Commission on Energy Policy (NCEP) Task Force on America's Future Energy Jobs: NCEP brings together representatives from labor, the electric industry, and the training and educational sectors to explore the existing demographic makeup and anticipated workforce needs of the electric industry, along with the training institutions and programs that support this sector.
PowerPathway: Education
By generating early interest in Science/Technology/English and Math (STEM) pathways and career technical education, we hope to enhance the preparation of tomorrow’s graduates so they are able to compete for positions in our industry.
- STEM Preparation & STEM Career Pathways: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education plays a significant role in enabling the U.S. to move in the direction of the new energy policies. To meet future demand for scientists and engineers, PG&E joins others to advocate for strengthening STEM-related programming for educators and students.
PowerPathway: Green
In support of our communities’ efforts to implement improvements in energy efficiency, PG&E is guiding cities and municipalities on best practices to build the necessary local green workforce.
- Green Jobs Primer: Designed to help communities attract and train the green workforce needed to green their cities and municipalities, the Green Jobs Primer shares best practices learned through the development of PG&E’s PowerPathway program, as well as the company’s experience with local hiring initiatives.
- PowerPathway Training Network: The PG&E PowerPathway Training Network lends expertise to educational institutions in order to build out their capacity to deliver curriculum relevant in the green energy economy.
News and Events
Learn more about our events.
Team
Meet the PowerPathway team.
PowerPathway eNewsletter
