Eversource Advances Workforce Training

The utility industry will need 600,000 new utility workers over the next decade and is moving from flat growth over the past 20 years to experiencing an expected growth rate of 15% over the next five years, according to the Center for Energy Workforce Development’s (CEWD) 2023 Energy Workforce Survey.

Today’s utility landscape demands a workforce that is continuously trained, highly skilled, and adaptable to changing technologies and industry practices. Eversource Energy, New England’s largest energy delivery company, understands this challenge well. That’s why the utility is undertaking a major transformation of its electric and gas training programs, which includes an innovative digital learning initiative.

In 2022, Eversource began leveraging the power of multimodal content in eBooks and mobile applications from Index AR Solutions to modernize traditional training across a range of operational areas — from underground electric and substation work to gas maintenance and construction, corrosion, damage prevention and others. The applications facilitate learning techniques that remove learning friction, particularly among younger generations of workers entering the workforce, through a combination of visual and auditory multimodal content.

By the end of 2026, Eversource will have implemented about 85 digital training applications, which will help its field workers efficiently progress through their training curricula and support utility workforce development.

Tablets Carry Classroom Concepts into the Field

The collaboration between Eversource and Index AR Solutions included a Field Engineering and Field Communication project — a comprehensive initiative that created dozens of custom eBooks and mobile apps designed in close collaboration with Eversource’s subject matter experts. These tools are available to be be used during instructor-led training and self-paced learning environments, accessible on tablets and laptops that workers and trainees can use at their convenience.

Ultimately, this type of content creation is not about replicating what was already in a binder. Rather, it produces a living, breathing training resource through its multimodal nature that takes advantage of preserved experience and evolves with the workforce. This can help create a training environment that is flexible, immersive and reflective of real-world tasks, as well as user-friendly. It also makes learning accessible wherever and whenever it is needed, whether in a classroom, at home or on the job site.

Programs Undergoing Digital Transformation

By 2027, Eversource will have digitized training for the following programs: overhead electric; underground electric; substation; electric meters; damage prevention; field engineering and field communications; gas meter service; corrosion; and gas maintenance and construction.

These programs represent core competencies for the utility’s electric and gas operations. Transitioning them into digital formats not only improves knowledge retention but also enhances safety and efficiency across the board.

For instance, in the Underground Electric training, workers can visualize the internal components of a submersible transformer and practice numerous wiring configurations in a safe, instructor-led environment. The content-rich corrosion program teaches users about the different types of interference, how to test for it and ways to mitigate it within a cathodic protection system.

Looking ahead, the Gas Maintenance and Construction apprentice training will enable workers to interact with step-by-step procedures for pipe installation, leak detection, and system shutoff — all through animated, touch-enabled experiences that promote greater understanding and muscle memory.

Closing the Experience Gap

One of the main challenges facing utilities nationwide is the loss of institutional knowledge due to an aging workforce. As experienced technicians and engineers retire, there is a critical need to transfer their know-how to the next generation quickly and effectively.

Digital training tools and development processes are designed to capture and codify that knowledge. For a gas technician apprentice, being told how to perform a task such as tapping and stopping is one thing. Being shown how to do it by a journeyman who is in the trench and executing it step-by-step is quite another. Through interviews, real-world footage, and subject matter expert input, digital modules can encapsulate best practices and standardized procedures that new hires and seasoned employees alike can access anytime.

This approach also allows for continuous learning. Digital modules can be updated with new content, regulations or procedures, ensuring the workforce remains aligned with current standards.

Multimodal content also caters to different learning styles, meeting workers where they are. It acknowledges the reality that people learn in different ways — whether that is reading, watching videos or by hands-on experience — supporting a full range of learning styles and fostering greater engagement.

Most importantly, these tools contribute to safer operations. By practicing in a virtual environment first, workers can familiarize themselves with complex tasks and high-risk procedures before attempting them on equipment in the classroom and in the field. This reduces the potential for mistakes and builds confidence, both of which are crucial in environments where safety is paramount.

A Scalable Model for Utility Workforce Training

Eversource’s commitment to deploying 85 training applications over four years reflects the company’s long-term strategy focused on adaptability, innovation and excellence in workforce development.

Each module is customized to reflect Eversource’s unique procedures, terminology, and equipment, making the content not only engaging but directly applicable to daily operations. Furthermore, the use of tablets means the material can be deployed in remote areas, on job sites or during emergency response situations — providing just-in-time learning wherever it’s needed.

Looking Ahead

The utility industry faces unprecedented demand pressure from economic development and the increased interconnection of new energy resources and technologies, as well as growth in AI-driven data center development, electric vehicle infrastructure expansion, digital currency adoption, and more. Given those factors along with the accompanying workforce transitions, incorporating technology in training is more essential than ever.  Specific to Eversource, the company will continue to focus on developing advanced training programs that support front-line employees and enhance operational performance.