Press release
ComEd Joins YMCA and Goodwill to Graduate 89 Local Teens from Summer Job Training Program
ComEd’s CONSTRUCT Youth Academy expands in second year to prepare more area youth for roles in the growing clean energy field CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
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[{"type":"text","content":"\nComEd’s CONSTRUCT Youth Academy expands in second year to prepare more area youth for roles in the growing clean energy field\n\n\n CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nComEd, the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago and Goodwill Greater Milwaukee & Chicago today hosted a graduation event for 89 teens who have completed summer job training that prepared them for emerging career opportunities in the clean energy and construction fields.\n\n\nThrough the CONSTRUCT Youth Academy program, ComEd and its partner agencies are expanding access to training for local teens interested in careers in the fast-growing energy sector. Expanding training for local youth and job seekers is critical to preparing communities for the expected future job growth, with a recent study finding that the clean energy transition could add as many as 150,000 jobs in Illinois by 2050.\n\n\n\"With the clean energy transition set to create thousands of jobs in the years ahead, programs like CONSTRUCT Youth Academy are essential to creating pathways for more diverse local youth to join the utility field and to prepare our communities for a cleaner energy future,\" said Melissa Washington, Senior Vice President Of Customer Operations and Strategic Initiatives at ComEd. “Through collaboration with incredible partners at the YMCA, Goodwill and numerous other agencies in the region, ComEd is expanding training programs to expose the next generation of leaders to knowledge and technology needed to unlock good-paying jobs in our fast-growing field.\"\n\n\nDuring the three-week program, rising high school juniors and seniors learn about the wide range of careers in energy, from entry-level craft positions to roles in STEM, engineering and more. Students also have the chance to connect with industry leaders, visit ComEd training facilities, and receive demonstrations on the latest technologies used by the energy company, like drones and electric vehicles.\n\n\nComEd launched the CONSTRUCT Youth Academy last year as part of its plan to build a pipeline of skilled and diverse talent needed to meet the evolving demand for clean energy and strengthen our power infrastructure in the face of increasingly severe weather tied to climate change. In partnership with the local YMCA and Goodwill, ComEd expanded training to five sites in Chicago, including a new site in Palatine. This allowed for ...