​Graduates from Atlantic City Electric's South Jersey Utility Training Program make important infrastructure upgrades possible

Mays Landing, N.J. (May 18, 2022) — This week, in southern New Jersey – and all across the country – we join together to celebrate Infrastructure Week and the exciting and innovative work being performed by Atlantic City Electric employees to help modernize and harden the local energy grid and to reliably power homes and businesses in the region. Through Atlantic City Electric's South Jersey Utility Training Program, residents in the region prepare for and ultimately earn careers in the energy industry, such as cable splicer mechanics, helper transformer testers, overhead line workers, meter technicians and many more.

"It takes a dedicated workforce with diverse backgrounds, areas of expertise, and innovative ideas to power the communities we serve, and we are extremely proud of our South Jersey Utility Training Program and the graduates that Atlantic City Electric and our contractors of choice employ to do just that," said Tamla Olivier, senior vice president and chief operating officer for Pepco Holdings, which includes Atlantic City Electric. "To date, we have seen 103 graduates come through our training program who are all highly skilled, capable energy employees that are vital to modernizing our local energy grid. This infrastructure week, we celebrate those graduates and salute the work they do alongside all of our hardworking employees every day to keep the lights on and the grid energized."

The Atlantic City Electric South Jersey Utility Training Program provides industry training through three targeted programs including the Get into Energy Math and Test Preparation Workshop; Workers in Sustainable Employment (WISE) Pathways; and the Line School to Physical Skills Training Center. These programs teach the skills and provides the experience necessary to begin working safely on the local energy grid. The objective is to prepare South Jersey residents for well-paying careers within the energy utility industry by offering customized training for the Construction and Skills Trades (CAST) exam, workforce readiness and technical skill development for overhead, underground, transmission and substation operations. Participants learn new skills, get plugged into a career path, and also receive valuable certifications including OSHA, Flagger, and CPR/first aid safety areas.

Andrea Hare, a polyphase meter technician with Atlantic City Electric, appreciates the training she received through the South Jersey Utility Training Program to prepare for her current role with the company.

"The training I received was instrumental in helping me prepare for the CAST exam. I am truly grateful of this opportunity and thank my colleagues for all their support in helping me acclimate to my position with the company," said Hare.

As part of Atlantic City Electric's Smart Energy Network initiative, Hare is responsible for upgrading all existing traditional electric meters with smart meters at homes and businesses across the company's service area, among many other job duties related to meter installation, testing, and maintenance.

Angel Tavares, an Atlantic City Electric overhead line helper and graduate of the South Jersey Utility Training Program, performs a variety of duties to assist company line workers including obtaining materials for a specific reliability improvement job, stocking the bucket truck with energy equipment, as well as ensuring a safe working environment for overhead line personnel on a daily basis.

"I really enjoy working outdoors and assisting our line workers each day, as well as the comradery we all share in working together for a common goal of improving reliability for our customers," said Tavares. "I look forward to future training opportunities to advance in the energy industry where I plan to work throughout the rest of my career."

Anthony Deal, another South Jersey Utility Training Program graduate, supports Atlantic City Electric as a meter utility technician. Deal is responsible for setting meters at new construction locations, as well exchanging, and testing meters to ensure accuracy, among other duties. Deal is looking forward to additional training to advance to a polyphase meter technician in the near future.

"I am very grateful of the opportunities I have at Atlantic City Electric and look forward to developing my skills to better myself and advance my career," said Deal. "Our workforce development team has supported me from the beginning and put me in a position to succeed in my current role and I am forever grateful for that."

The 2021 South Jersey Utility Training had 17 participants, all who graduated with a job offer from Atlantic City Electric or a Contractor of Choice. This latest South Jersey Utility Training 2022 cohort has 30 participants. Including this latest cohort, 103 South Jersey residents will have graduated from Atlantic City Electric's Workforce Development programs. To learn more about the program, click here.

To learn more about Atlantic City Electric, visit The Source, Atlantic City Electric's online newsroom. Find additional information by visiting atlanticcityelectric.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/AtlanticCityElectric, and on Twitter at twitter.com/AcEleCconnect. Atlantic City Electric's mobile app is available at atlanticcityelectric.com/MobileApp.