The demographic projections are clear. According to the Alliance for Lifetime Incomebetween 2024 and 2027, more than 4.1 million Americans will reach age 65, the most common retirement age. In sectors dominated by IT or finance, there is a large contingent of young people with university training to occupy these positions, but in the constructionmanufacturing and energyreplacement is much more complicated due to the growing shortage of carpenters, welders, plumbers and electricians.
This situation, particularly in the power and utilities sector, worries Maureen Biddle, senior director of talent development and learning at Avangrid. The management of this American subsidiary of the Spanish group Iberdrola believes that part of the problem lies in the fact that schools do not expose young people to the employment opportunities offered by the electricity sector. Biddle believes there is still a way to go to generate interest in alternative options to the traditional college route.
In this context, Biddle is working on a crucial challenge, that of avoiding the loss of what we call institutional knowledgethis tacit knowledge based on experience that employees accumulate over years of professional experience. Unlike formal education, this knowledge resides in the know-how and practice of seasoned professionals and is particularly relevant in professions that are learned directly on the job.
“A significant proportion of our unionized positions – line operators, gas and substation technicians – are nearing retirement,” Biddle says. “And this coincides with a critical period of investment to strengthen the electricity grid and increase resilience, at affordable prices, through both traditional systems and emerging technologies. It is essential to prepare our workforce for this challenge.”
Avangrid’s response to this situation is broad and deep, articulated in apprenticeship programs, mentoring initiatives and experiential learning. The company accumulates more than 400,000 annual hours of training and mentoring across all its programs designed to ensure knowledge transfer, business continuity and the preparation of new leaders. Some of these programs are based on collective agreements and cover all technical disciplines. Still, Biddle emphasizes that the work begins long before teaching someone to climb a pole or repair a substation; it starts by making technical careers attractive.
Despite the increase in trade school enrollment, a lack of awareness persists. “Most kids can imagine their future as doctors, lawyers, or computer engineers,” Biddle observes. “Working in a utility company is rarely presented as an option, despite the high quality of these careers for workers and their communities. » To change this narrative, Avangrid is collaborating with the Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD), a nonprofit consortium of more than 140 companies aimed at expanding the potential of public energy education, raising community awareness, and introducing entrepreneurial pathways to younger generations in the energy sector.
Hands-on learning: from the classroom to the utility pole park
Early connection fuels structured programs that combine theory and practice. In 2024, Avangrid launched a Network Maintenance Technician training program in partnership with SUNY Broome Community College and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 10. Students gain technical skills and experience in a utility pole farm, essential for those who will maintain and repair the lines that distribute and transmit electricity. The program includes internships and field hours that allow interns to put into practice what they have learned in the classroom, under the supervision of qualified teams, in a controlled environment.
Similar initiatives are underway in other areas where Avangrid operates. In Connecticut, a United Illuminating program, in partnership with IBEW Local 470-1 and CT State Community College – Housatonic Campus, provides hands-on experience to youth from underserved communities. Participants receive essential training on power line construction, including safety protocols, pole climbing, and working on energized utilities. This program is part of a broader initiative to create sustainable career alternatives in skilled trades and with a focus on environmental justice communities.
Additionally, the company operates the UI Scholars program, which provides high school students with a paid summer internship in conjunction with the same union (IBEW Local 470-1), which provides hands-on experience, mentoring and technical skills. As part of the program, they receive training alongside apprentices from the Overhead Line School and Underground Line School, and UI supervisors seek to connect them with teams responsible for operations and maintenance tasks in their own communities.
In Maine, Central Maine Power has partnered with Kennebec Valley Community College to support its power line worker technology program. This Avangrid subsidiary funds scholarships, recently participated in the purchase of a new truck equipped for internships and created a direct route for training talent. In 2024, Central Maine Power hired apprentices who graduated from this technical program. This is a collaboration with over six years of experience.
“These programs are strategically located in communities where Avangrid has a strong presence and commitment to service,” says Biddle. “If we don’t have enough internal candidates, these alliances become quarries to fill critical positions. »
A learning model for the future
In line with the Iberdrola Group, Avangrid applies the 70/20/10 learning model, where 70% comes from direct experience, 20% from collaborative learning and 10% from formal education.
“Our apprenticeship programs are designed so that new workers, regardless of prior experience, start at the bottom and progress through structured training,” says Biddle.
Staff turnover rates influence how many people the program can include, but the results are already clear in terms of new hires.
The model also offers opportunities for professional development. Avangrid offers training and leadership programs, and career paths are open. “It all starts with effort, that’s a reality,” Biddle explains, “but there are opportunities and we have development programs to support each person.” Biddle herself is an example of this. She is now the senior director of talent development and learning, but started at the company as a customer service representative. “That’s how my career started, then I joined our technical training organization and from there I continued to grow,” he says.
Preparing for the AI era without losing the human factor
As a leading company in advanced networking, related technologies and power generation, Avangrid is also exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) could shape its workforce. “We look at areas where automation can improve or how it complements manual labor,” Biddle says. But in specialized professions, human experience remains irreplaceable. “Repairing power lines or transformers requires human judgment and physical presence. This human element is fundamental“.
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