Program Provides Hands-on Experience for Baltimore City Vo-tech High School Students

BALTIMORE (July 5, 2017) – Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) Smart Energy Workforce Development Program today welcomes its second class of high school interns from Baltimore City vocational-technical high schools. Twenty-five students from Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School (Mervo), Green Street Academy and Edmonson-Westside Vocational Technical High School will spend five weeks gaining experience in their chosen vocational tracks.

"This partnership between BGE, Baltimore City and its schools is a wonderful example of how the private and public sectors can come together to lift our community. I'm proud of our team for developing this innovative idea and am thankful for the partnership with the Baltimore City schools," said BGE's CEO, Calvin G. Butler Jr.

Students studying computer aided design, automotive technology, pre-engineering and construction will spend four weeks with relevant BGE departments: design, fleet services, engineering, outdoor lighting, technical services and customer field operations. The program kicks-off with team building exercises and soft-skill training to help the students prepare for a successful internship. It closes with classes on the Construction and Skilled Trade (CAST) test, a utility industry standard, which the interns have the opportunity to take.

"BGE is committed to Baltimore, and this internship program is one way we work to strengthen our community. Identifying and nurturing high-achieving students helps them understand the career opportunities that are available in the Baltimore area for those who work hard," said Robert Matthews, BGE's human resources senior manager.

BGE is providing chartered transportation for the students working at BGE's Woodlawn locations to increase the program's accessibility. Students working in Baltimore City will be provided assistance with obtaining bus passes.

"BGE did not want transportation, or the lack thereof, to be a roadblock preventing students from participating in this program. Providing transportation assistance helps to better ensure the students' success in the program," said Matthews.

This internship program is one piece of BGE's innovative Smart Energy Workforce Development Program, a joint effort with local workforce development agencies and vocational schools to increase access to the BGE Utility Trainee program for local communities. The interns are also part of Baltimore City's YouthWorks/HireOne program which places young people between the ages of 14 and 21 in jobs with private, nonprofit, and city and state government employers throughout Baltimore. BGE earlier this year donated funds to provide 16 additional internships in the area.

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BGE, founded in 1816 as the nation's first gas utility, is Maryland's largest natural gas and electric utility. Headquartered in Baltimore, BGE delivers power to more than 1.25 million electric customers and more than 650,000 natural gas customers in central Maryland. The company's approximately 3,200 employees are committed to the safe and reliable delivery of natural gas and electricity, as well as enhanced energy management, conservation, environmental stewardship and community assistance. The company also has an estimated annual economic impact of $5 billion of output in its service area, supporting more than 9,500 local jobs and producing $923 million in labor income. BGE is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation's leading competitive energy provider. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, YouTube  and Flickr.