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Today energy companies are competing for new engineering grads, so Progress Energy (Raleigh, NC) is building relationships with students and faculty to attract top talent. The company supports minority engineering programs, funds individual scholarships, sends its engineers into classrooms as guest speakers, and helps welcome new students to engineering schools. Progress Energy also cultivates ties with faculty research projects, which often lead to involvement with senior group projects.
Progress Energy is a Fortune 250 energy company with more than 21,000 megawatts of generation capacity. The company’s holdings include two electric utilities serving approximately 3.1 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida.
Progress Energy is the 2006 recipient of the Edison Electric Institute’s Edison Award, the industry’s highest honor, in recognition of its operational excellence. The company is also the first utility to receive the prestigious J.D. Power and Associates Founder’s Award for dedication, commitment and sustained improvement in customer service. In 2006 Business Week magazine named Progress Energy one of the fifty best places to launch a career.
The company has programs in place to promote increased energy efficiency. It invests in renewable energy and other emerging energy technologies, and is upgrading its existing power plants and starting new ones where appropriate.
Progress Energy has traditionally recruited at southeastern schools. On the current list: North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central University, the Florida A&M University/Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL) joint engineering program, the University of South Carolina, North Carolina State University, the University of Florida, the University of Central Florida, the University of South Florida, Clemson University, the Georgia Institute of Technology and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Electrical, mechanical, nuclear, chemical and civil engineering students and new grads are needed for internships and permanent positions at all the company’s locations. There are engineering divisions at Raleigh headquarters and in St. Petersburg, FL. Four nuclear facilities are in Raleigh; Southport, NC; Hartsville, SC; and Crystal River, FL, and a fifth plant is in the planning stages. The company also operates coal and hydroelectric facilities in North Carolina and Florida.
“Progress Energy offers the whole range of energy work, from generation to transmission to delivery,” says college recruiter Christie Hill. “Engineers coming into the company can pursue their interests in operations, planning or construction in various places.”
The company also has positions for computer science grads and business grads. Business growth and the retirement of experienced engineers have increased opportunities across the board, Hill notes.
All new employees can participate in Progress Energy’s mentoring program and take advantage of tuition reimbursement. Entry-level engineering programs are already in place at some business units, and the company plans to develop them across more locations.
“These programs give people a good grasp of our work and an idea of where they fit in,” says Hill, “and also help them understand the scope of the business.”
Interns work on real projects, tour company facilities and meet with senior executives. Company reps stay in touch with the interns, and may even provide them with updates about projects they have worked on.
Of ninety-five interns in 2007, 13 percent were minorities and 22 percent women. Many will return as 2008’s core group. In the summer of 2007 interns attended social events and participated in the company’s diversity training and a seminar on making effective presentations. Some rode with a line crew.
Progress Energy is currently recruiting students who have completed their sophomore or junior year to fill its intern slots; students who have completed just one year may also be considered. Seniors can apply for full-time jobs.
The company has active networking groups for women, African Americans and Latinos. Interns are encouraged to attend network meetings while they’re at the company.
“This company can feel really big,” says Hill. “A smaller community that you can bond with can help you navigate better.”
D/C
Progress Energy
www.progress-energy.com
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Headquarters: |
Raleigh, NC |
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Employees: |
11,000 |
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Revenues: |
$10 billion |
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Business: |
Energy generation, transmission, delivery |
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