Engineers, welders, linemen and equipment operators all get their start somewhere. In Escambia County, Gulf Power Academy has been that starting point for almost 200 students over the past 10 years.

This career academy is built in to the West Florida High School curriculum and is designed to prepare students for entry-level work in the electric utility industry or for post-secondary education in engineering, electronics, and other technical fields of study.

Ten years ago Gulf Power was looking for opportunities to engage in the educational process to develop a diverse pool of candidates for critical Gulf Power positions.
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 “At that time we were already seeing a gap in the technical training we were looking for in our applicants and realized we would need to get involved on a much deeper level in recruiting employees,” Jennifer Grove, Workforce Development coordinator, said.

Gulf Power initiated the program in 2001 after learning about the opportunity to partner with West Florida High School. A total of 170 students have graduated from the program and 45 of those graduates have been hired for full-time or temporary positions at Gulf Power.

Students choose to participate in the career academy through grades 9-12 and receive a combination of rigorous academics along with a relevant technical education. In addition to supplying resources for training, Gulf Power helps pay for materials, lab equipment and training for the students.

Prior to their senior year the students can apply for the Advanced Career Experience (ACE) program. Students in the ACE program work at Gulf Power every other day and are rotated through several departments and positions.

Students earn a high school diploma, a technical certification in their area of study and receive college credit.

“I’ve met countless determined students through this program who are willing to work hard at a very young age in order to give themselves a successful future,” Grove said. “To see these kids grow up and succeed in a career is extremely satisfying.”

Calvin Mattin, a Plant Equipment operator for Plant Crist, graduated in 2008 from the program and was hired soon after in July of 2008.

“While I was in the program I got to meet a lot of people and we were able to take trips to the plants to get an idea of what it would be like if we did get hired,” Mattin said. “Working for Gulf Power part-time gave us a good feel of whether we would like that type of work or not.”

“I would definitely recommend the academy for any student. Even if you don’t end up working for Gulf Power, its good experience and a great way to learn about the utility industry,” Mattin said.

This year’s ACE senior class began working at Gulf Power earlier this month.

For more information on Gulf Power Academy please call Jennifer Grove at 850-444-6821 or visit the West Florida High School website at www.wfhs.net.

Gulf Power Company is an investor-owned electric utility with all of its common stock owned by Atlanta-based Southern Company. Gulf Power serves more than 430,000 customers in eight counties throughout Northwest Florida. The company’s mission is to safely deliver affordable, reliable and environmentally responsible electric service to our customers while working to improve the communities we serve. Visit online at GulfPower.com or on the company’s Facebook page, “Gulf Power Company.”