On May 19-20, Career Communications Group hosted the Service to Nation event on STEM City. Leaders from fields like retail and digital commerce, travel and hospitality, energy and utilities, education, government and defense, and healthcare and health technologies gave presentations.
Speakers included Christine Burkett, Tyrone D. Taborn, Dr. Talitha Washington, Tyrone Smith, Marissa Kelly, and Cory McCray, who wrote: “The Apprenticeship That Saved My Life" and is a graduate of the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Center, Local No. 24, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Cornell Johnson represented the Center for Energy Workforce Development, a nonprofit serving 140 energy companies, contractors, and trade associations.
CEWD promotes career awareness, pre-hire training, workforce policy, and addresses emerging industry challenges.
Speaking on STEM City USA's Service to Nation, Johnson explained that CEWD collaborates with many employers and organizations focused on both traditional energy sectors and grid decarbonization.
He highlighted the career opportunities in the energy sector, which employs individuals with a range of educational backgrounds, from GEDs to PhDs.
Roles include engineers, technicians, line workers, attorneys, human resources professionals, and accountants, working across various energy sources such as natural gas, nuclear, hydro, geothermal, wind, solar, and renewables. The electric vehicle industry is also a growing part of this sector.
Johnson noted that the energy industry employs a significant number of veterans, with representation nearly double the national average.
In 2025, the energy sector is projected to account for 8.5 million jobs, or 55.4% of all industry jobs, primarily in power generation, transmission, distribution, storage, fuels, energy efficiency, and motor vehicles. Median wages in these fields range from $53,620 to $65,430. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, nine percent of the energy workforce are veterans, compared to five percent nationally. The industry must hire and train 81,000 electricians every decade, and faces projected shortages of 320,000 welders by 2029 and 376,000 nuclear workers by 2050.
While some roles, such as meter readers, are now automated, there is a growing need for workers skilled in using advanced tools and AI solutions.
Johnson encouraged young people to tour local electric companies to learn about career opportunities.
Over 70 percent of employers report challenges in finding qualified talent, making the growth of the skilled trades workforce essential for the utility industry. For more details, listen from the 2:00 hour mark.