Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission launches new campaign to increase awareness of utility career opportunities

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) recently launched its new #UtilityCareers initiative to encourage candidates to consider career opportunities in the utility sector.

“There are numerous #UtilityCareers opportunities all around us – offering good wages, growth opportunities and the chance to make a difference in our communities – but they can often ‘hide in plain sight’ because students and other job-seekers are unaware of the options available to them,” PUC Chairman Gladys M. Brown said.

Chairman Brown and Commissioner David W. Sweet joined with lawmakers and leaders from state agencies and Pennsylvania utilities Tuesday to mark the beginning of the campaign.

“Borrowing from the opening of a new PUC #UtilityCareers video – utilities power our lives, they quench our thirst and clean our water, they heat our house and connect our calls, and they move us,” Chairman Brown said. “We depend on our utilities to power and connect our lives and keep us safe and warm – but utilities won’t work without the diverse group of women and men who conceive, design, build, operate and repair these essential systems.”

Over the past five years, the number of jobs in the utility sector has increased by more than 11 percent, which is five times the job growth for all industries in Pennslyvania. The average utility wage in the state is approximately $93,000 per year, which is almost twice the average wage for all industries.

Nationally, utilities are expected to hire 70,000 workers by 2020 and an estimated 1.5 million by 2030.

Gov. Tom Wolf recently proclaimed September to be #UtilityCareers Month, and the State Senate and State House of Representatives have both adopted resolutions highlighting the workforce development issue.