ATLANTA, July 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern Company is participating in "Troops to Energy Jobs" to accelerate the process of linking veterans leaving military service to job openings in the energy industry -- jobs that are expected to increase in the coming decade.  

"The Troops to Energy Jobs program is another way we can help support our servicemen and women and bring their valuable training, operational skills and leadership ability to the industry," said Susan Story, president and CEO of Southern Company Services.  "Military veterans and reservists account for approximately 11 percent of our workforce and we believe their proven commitment to pride, duty, honor and discipline add significant value to Southern Company's overall success."

The two-year program, announced today at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., will seek to establish an ongoing process of outreach, recruitment, education and training for veterans whose military skillsets and experience match up with careers in energy.  Southern Company is participating in the program along with four other U.S. electric utility companies in conjunction with the Washington-based Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD).

Southern Company employee and former U.S. Navy Captain John Pruitt addressed attendees at today's launch about his transition to the energy industry.  "Certainly, the six plus years I have spent in Southern Company after a 27-year naval career have been productive and rewarding for me and I believe this program offers that same opportunity for many deserving men and women."

Pruitt also noted in his remarks that his experience in the military helped with his transition to the energy industry. "The work ethic, dedication to duty, ability to respond to challenge, comfort with technology, commitment to continual learning and, most importantly, the people skills I developed during my military service have served me well in my transition to the industry."

"Many veterans are returning home after tours of duty with the kind of skills our industry needs but without a clear path toward jobs that are going to be increasingly available in the coming years," said Mary Miller, CEWD President.  "The goal of the Troops to Energy Jobs initiative is to define and develop the pathway for a successful transition."

CEWD predicts that nearly 40 percent of the workers for the nation's electric and natural gas companies and the nuclear power industry will be either eligible for retirement or will depart their jobs because of attrition during the next five years – meaning almost 200,000 potential job openings.  CEWD was formed in 2006 to develop solutions to address this potential workforce shortage, and Troops to Energy Jobs is part of CEWD's effort to promote energy careers to all segments of the population.

Troops to Energy Jobs is managed by the CEWD, a non-profit consortium of electric, natural gas and nuclear utilities; their associations—the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), American Gas Association (AGA), Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA); and their unions—the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the Utility Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO (UWUA). CEWD was formed to help utilities work together to develop solutions to the coming workforce shortage in the utility industry.

With 4.4 million customers and more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast. A leading U.S. producer of electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are below the national average. Southern Company was named the World's Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility by Fortune magazine in 2011, and is consistently listed among the top U.S. electric service providers in customer satisfaction by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.

SOURCE Southern Company