Recently, several energy entities helped lead a careers summit for students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Some of the best and brightest STEM students at HBCUs in the region visited Little Rock as part of the third annual Accessing Careers in Energy Summit (ACES).
More than two dozen students from Jackson State University, Howard University, Tennessee State University, Tuskegee University, Prairie View A&M University and Southern University and A&M College attended the event. The junior and senior-level students have various majors ranging from electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science and data analytics and law.
During the three-day event, students heard from representatives from the various event sponsors and presenters, including executives from Entergy Arkansas, Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), Southwest Power Pool, Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), PJM Interconnection and the Arkansas Chapter of AABE (American Association of Blacks in Energy). The ACES event featured industry speakers, professional development programs and glimpses into careers in the energy industry.
A tour of Entergy’s TCC-North and Alexander substation followed by a welcome dinner at the Clinton Presidential Center kicked off the events. The following days included a careers panel, resume writing and interview prep, informational interviews and the potential for career offers.
Speakers and panelists included John Bear, CEO of MISO; Barbara Sugg, CEO of SPP; Ventrell Thompson, vice president of customer service at Entergy Arkansas; William Cunningham, director of resource planning and market operations at Entergy Arkansas; Keith Collins, vice president of commercial operations at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas; Derek Dyson, CEO and president of Today’s Power Inc. of North Little Rock, and dozens of utility and power transmission executives.
The students also participated in a case study competition during the event. Four-member student teams competed for $30,000 in prizes by solving tough cases in energy management around demand resource response. Students from Southern University and A&M College won the competition and took home the top prize.
ACES seeks to develop a pipeline of diverse talent and provide professional development opportunities for diverse student populations that may otherwise not be aware of career opportunities in the energy industry.
Just like Entergy Arkansas needs a diverse energy mix to generate the most affordable and clean energy possible, we need diversity of our workforce. That’s what makes the ACES program so important.
Entergy has a history of supporting HBCUs and recently announced a 10-year, $20 million commitment to elevate and empower Historically Black Colleges and Universities and their students across the company’s service area in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
