The latest class of graduates is diverse with more than 32 percent minorities, 12 percent veterans and an increase in female hires to join the workforce as well. Additionally, graduates hail from all corners of the service region, representing 89 unique zip codes from across northern Illinois.
"Working with ComEd, we are committed to building a diverse talent pipeline to prepare residents for the growing numbers of clean energy jobs in Illinois,” said Terry McGoldrick, President of IBEW Local 15. “By expanding access to our apprenticeship training programs, we’re working to invite more men and women of all backgrounds to learn a skilled trade that will be critical to powering communities, and the economy, for years to come.”
New entry-level craft positions – including the overhead helper position and other entry-level union roles – will play a key role in building and operating a more resilient grid that can withstand increasingly severe weather and meet the increased demand for renewable energy and electric vehicles. Jobs in the clean energy space are on the rise today, as Illinois transitions to a clean energy future and as the energy industry outpaces growth of other industries nationally, adding more than 300,000 jobs last year alone (USEER 2022).
To prepare to meet these demands, ComEd has been working to expand the reach of its career readiness programs, including hosting more frequent climb clinics, expanding test prep, and boosting the capacity of its apprenticeship schools to reach more residents interested in careers in utilities. As a result, ComEd has nearly doubled participation in the overhead apprenticeship program in the past two years.
Since announcing it would expand craft hiring earlier this year, ComEd has extended hiring offers to over 200 candidates for roles including overhead helpers, as well as construction workers. As interest in craft careers at ComEd has increased, so too has diversity: More than 75 percent of applications to craft roles in 2022 were for minority candidates, and 15 percent for women. This record level of diversity follows on efforts by the company to bolster outreach and recruitment in communities across the service territory and to reduce barriers to help more qualified applicants get the training they need to compete for these new careers.
For more information on how ComEd is helping job seekers prepare for entry-level craft roles, please visit www.comed.com/cleanenergyjobs.