BGE's Smart Energy Workforce Development Program Brings 40+ Baltimore City High School Students on Board

BALTIMORE (July 2, 2018) – BGE today welcomed its third class of Smart Energy interns.  More than 40 students from Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School (Mervo), Green Street Academy, Edmonson-Westside Vocational Technical High School, Carver Vocational Technical High School along with students from the THREAD program will spend five weeks gaining experience in their chosen vocational tracks.

"BGE is committed to Baltimore, and this internship program is one way we work to strengthen our community. We identify and nurture industrious students and expose them to a variety of skilled and technical career opportunities available in the Baltimore area," said Robert Matthews, BGE's director of talent management. "We've seen the program bear fruit with three previous participants earning full time jobs at BGE after graduating with strong resumes and exhibiting a willingness to learn and contribute to our success during their internships."

The program kicks-off with team building exercises and soft-skills training to help prepare the students for a successful internship. They will then work with departments that allow them to use the skills they have learned studying computer aided design, automotive technology, pre-engineering or construction.

Students then complete their internship with preparation classes on the Construction and Skilled Trade (CAST) test, a utility industry standard, which the interns may take. If they pass, they are then eligible to apply for a Utility Trainee position once they graduate high school.

BGE is providing chartered transportation for the students working at BGE's Woodlawn locations and bus passes to students working in Baltimore City. Eliminating transportation concerns increases program accessibility and positions students for success during their internship.

This internship program is one piece of BGE's innovative Smart Energy Workforce Development Program, a joint effort with local workforce development agencies and Baltimore City schools to increase access to careers at BGE for local communities.

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BGE, founded in 1816 as the nation's first gas utility and headquartered in Baltimore, is Maryland's largest natural gas and electric utility. The company's approximately 3,200 employees are committed to safe and reliable power delivery to more than 1.25 million electric customers and more than 650,000 natural gas customers in central Maryland, as well as enhanced energy management, conservation, environmental stewardship and community assistance. J.D. Power's 2017 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study ^SM ranked BGE highest in customer satisfaction with business electric service in the east among large utilities. 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.