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AmerenUE Workforce Programs: Skilled Craft Education Program at North and South County Tech and Construction Career Center High Schools Chris Marchioro, PhD CEWD Midwestern Meeting June 2009. V10. Ameren: A Snapshot. Current. Electric Customers Gas Customers Service Area

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  1. AmerenUE Workforce Programs:Skilled Craft Education Program at North and South County Tech and Construction Career CenterHigh Schools Chris Marchioro, PhDCEWD Midwestern MeetingJune 2009 V10

  2. Ameren: A Snapshot Current Electric Customers Gas Customers Service Area Generation (more than) Electric System Miles Gas Distribution Miles Total Assets (net) Total Revenues Employees 2.4 Million 1 Million 64,000 Sq. Miles 16,500 MW 94,500 19,800 $23 Billion $ 7.8 Billion 9,848 • Investor Owned Utility • 60% of Ameren Customers in Illinois • 2nd largest electric & gas supplier in Illinois

  3. Skilled Craft Education Overview • Why? • Ameren reached out to the schools as a workforce planning initiative • Who? • Partnership started in 2007: • Our power plants are located within 1 hour of St. Louis-we chose schools in close proximity • North and South County Technical High Schools (vocational high schools with 37 total programs including welding, electrical, horticulture, cosmetology, culinary, automotive maintenance), and • The Construction Career Center (inner city school with a technical focus). • The Skilled Craft Education program’s focus is on high school seniors. • Critical stakeholdersinclude: • High school faculty and administrators • AmerenUE’s Skilled Craft Ambassadors • International Union of Operating Engineers Local 148 • Business Segment leadership • Human Resources

  4. Multiple Hurdle Hiring Process • Stay actively engaged in school and the program; display citizenship behavior. • Apply on-line—www.ameren.com/jobs. • Meet minimum qualifications of the vacancy (all students in the program are designated minimally qualified). • Pre-Employment Testing • All candidates for power plants take EEI’s General Power Plant Battery. • Candidates for the Plant Operating Engineer positions also take a written assessment and an on-the-job performance test. • Structured Behavioral Interview • Background Investigation • Drug Test • Physical Abilities Assessment • Medical Physical

  5. Program Overview • Year 1: 2007-2008 school year • Faculty hand picked students from each school to be in the program. 37 students were chosen, and students self-selected themselves into one of three career paths (15 for power plants, 4 for relay tech, 18 for transmission and distribution). • Criteria for inclusion included academic performance, attendance, no disciplinary issues, and student interest. • Parents were sent a letter describing the program and nomination. • Ameren tested all students in the program. Five students were ultimately hired for full-time employment. • Resources included one HR contact, one business segment representative, and several field personnel (referred to as Talent Ambassadors) who rotated going to the schools to speak about what they do on-the-job.

  6. Program Overview • Year 2: 2008-2009 school year • Only the power plants were interested in continuing the partnership. • Students formally applied to the program; the program criteria remained the same as prior year. Almost 70 students were accepted into the program. • Ameren committed to hire the top students who passed the selection processes. • Skilled Craft Ambassador resources were mobilized • 11 power plant employees represented by Local 148 • 2 business segment representatives • 3 HR representatives • Kicked off the program with both students and parents to solicit early parental support. Parents were fully informed of the program’s expectations and the benefits of employment with Ameren. • Students took practice pre-employment tests, and schools offered targeted tutoring for areas of weakness; Ameren craft employees also tutored students on weekends. • At the end of school year, 56 students remained. All were tested, and 21 passed.

  7. Roles and Responsibilities: A shared commitment • Business segment leadership committed to: • Organize monthly visits to the schools and provide the skilled craft personnel and equipment to demonstrate the trades. • Conduct a tour of the Labadie power plant. • Establish genuine mentoring relationships with the students. • Hire top program participants (even if no vacancies exist) for Laborer positions (line of promotion into apprenticeships). • Coach students on professionalism and citizenship behavior (tardiness is unacceptable, drug-free workplace, a criminal record may disqualify you for employment).

  8. Roles and Responsibilities: A shared commitment • Skilled Craft Ambassadorscommitted to: • Bring tools and equipment from the plants and visit the schools on a monthly basis to demonstrate their trades. • Help tutor students on math, mechanical concepts, and spatial problems. • Fully support the program and became a champion of Ameren. • Serve as a mentor for the students who are hired.

  9. Roles and Responsibilities: A shared commitment • Human Resourcescommitted to: • Co-facilitate informational events where students and parents learned about the opportunities and benefits Ameren offers. • Hold discussions with students about professionalism, including appropriate attire, eye contact, hand shake, and overall body language. • Spend considerable time teaching students how to write a resume and develop interviewing skills. • Make presentations to guidance counselors from other districts to increase the interest in technical programs. • Practice behavior interviewing skills training with non-program students. • Facilitate a tour of Ameren’s corporate headquarters so students and faculty could learn how the power plants connect to other areas of Ameren including transmission, distribution, and the customer contact center.

  10. Roles and Responsibilities: A shared commitment • The schools committed to: • Monitored students’ academic performance to ensure they remain eligible for participation. • Approximately 14 students were either removed from the program for poor engagement or poor academic performance, or students removed themselves for lack of interest. • Assisted students in preparing for employment testing and interviewing; administered sample employment tests and tutored students on skill areas on which improvement was needed. • Ensured students, parents, and guidance counselors in middle school, and Freshman/Sophomore/Juniors, knew about the program and the selection requirements.

  11. WIIFM? • Ameren? • Community relations and outreach • The ability for our power plant workforce to mentor young adults • Strategic workforce planning and talent pool development • Students? • Stayed at the top of their game by maintaining a 95% attendance record and a B average • Received professional mentoring that supplemented the mentoring from faculty • Job readiness skill preparation • Accountability, Maturity, Self-confidence, Professionalism • Entry level employment opportunities as a Laborer ($32,000 + overtime) • Opportunities for future career growth • Journeyman employment opportunities (Plant Operating Engineer – Electrician, Machinist, and Repairman at $72,000 + overtime)

  12. Labadie Power Plant Tour for Construction Career Center Students

  13. Skilled Craft Ambassador Showcases his Talents at North Technical High School

  14. Skilled Craft Ambassador Showcases his Talents at South Technical High School

  15. Lessons Learned • After-action review is scheduled, but several obvious improvements are….. • Ensure stakeholders support hiring high school students—dispel stereotypes. • Provide more structure to the program • Schedule dates for site visits to schools, plants, and corporate tours at beginning of school year. • Start resume writing and interview skill prep earlier. • Have students apply on-line earlier. • Spend more one-on-one time with students to ensure they are comfortable with all stages of the selection process (testing, criminal background check and what infractions they need to report). • Tighten up the program criteria, and develop a more structured process for removing students from the program. • Ensure the program is not a selection process (poses liability). Instead, set clear standards of what we expect in a candidate, and leave it to the schools to adhere to our standards. • Provide ADA accommodation information to the schools at the beginning of the school year to ensure we comply throughout the process. • Utilize CEWD’s toolkits-especially the educator resources. • Provide more resources to the schools for tutoring.

  16. Point of Contact • For questions about the Skilled Craft Education program, contact Chris Marchioro at cmarchioro@ameren.com or 314-554-2162.

  17. Questions?

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