SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Every Nov. 11, America remembers the men and women who’ve served in the
U.S. Armed Forces.
At Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), veterans are celebrated and
honored today, and every day, for their work in helping build a better
California.
The company’s support of veterans dates back to World War I. Since the
early 1900s, the company has worked to hire, train and retrain veterans
while helping them develop careers.
Here’s a brief recap of what PG&E has done during the year to assist and
recognize veterans.
Creating Careers, Not Just Jobs
In June, the utility introduced the “1,000
Careers Project”—an initiative to hire 1,000 veterans into PG&E
careers over the next eight years. The purpose of the project is to make
PG&E a preferred employer to veterans in California.
“We’re in an ever-changing industry where technology and innovation are
driving the demand to hire for new skills. Veterans have the right
training to help us meet this need. The 1,000 Careers Project is the
right thing to help those who’ve proudly served our country. Veterans
will help us meet the challenge of building the next-generation
workforce at PG&E,” said PG&E Vice President of Talent Management and
Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer Laura Butler.
A driving force in the project is PG&E’s PowerPathway™
career workforce training program, which has trained 400 veterans
over its eight-year history.
The utility will hold its first PowerPathway program for active-duty
service members in the first quarter of 2016. The training cohort
will be held at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), a U.S. Army-U.S. Air
Force base located south of Tacoma, Wash.
During the past year:
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Vice
President Joe Biden highlighted the program during a visit to a
veterans-only training class in Oakland.
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The program graduated its first
active military member.
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And the utility honored its initial direct-to-hire PowerPathway class
for customer service representatives. The class consisted of 17
veterans in Fresno as part of an initiative to address the area’s
long-term unemployment situation.
This week, PG&E will debut a television commercial focusing on the
PowerPathway program. The 30-second
spot will feature Erick Varela, a substation engineer from Eureka.
He’s a veteran who represented the company at the White House on a panel
regarding long-term unemployment among veterans.
Recognizing Veteran Support
PG&E is backing the HIRE Vets Act of 2015, a bipartisan bill introduced
in the U.S. House of Representatives on July 29 (H.R.
3286) and in the U.S. Senate on Nov. 10. This legislation directs
the Department of Labor to establish a recognition program for large and
small businesses who recruit, hire, train and retain military veterans,
along with reservists and National Guard members.
The bill was originally introduced by Rep. Paul Cook, a decorated
veteran. It also has the support of seven other California
representatives: Julia Brownley, Tony Cardenas, Jim Costa, Devin Nunes,
Mike Honda, Scott Peters and Mark Takano.
Helping Veteran-Owned Businesses Succeed
On Nov.
16, PG&E will play host to the third “Boots
to Business,” a workshop providing disabled veteran-owned
enterprises (DVBEs) insights into how to become certified to do business
with PG&E and networking opportunities with fellow DVBEs, suppliers and
PG&E staff. DVBEs are a major part of PG&E’s diverse supplier spend.
Over the last two years, the company has spent an average of $125
million per year with DVBEs.
A Major Supporter of Veterans Day Parades
On Nov. 11, PG&E will be part of four parades within the service
territory.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas
and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco,
with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the
nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and
Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/
and www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.
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Source: Pacific Gas and Electric Company