Powering the Utility Industry - Athena Consultancy and Workforce Solutions

Situation

A regional utility company was facing a critical shortage of service planners—the skilled professionals essential for managing, planning, and coordinating new service requests for both commercial and residential customers. The utility industry’s aging workforce, combined with a wave of retirements, had drained the local and statewide talent pool. With no experienced candidates available, the company struggled with delayed service delivery, growing customer dissatisfaction, and the risk of falling out of regulatory compliance. The situation demanded an innovative solution—fast.

Athena's Solution

We partnered with the utility to design and implement a Train-to-Hire program, a tailored approach to bridge the talent gap. Here’s how we delivered results:

Leveraging Retired Expertise
We recruited a retired utility employee with over 40 years of experience in service planning. This individual collaborated with us and the utility to develop a comprehensive, utility-specific training syllabus, ensuring the program aligned with the company’s operational needs and standards.
Targeted Recruitment
We identified and hired recent community college graduates with associate degrees in relevant fields (e.g., engineering technology, business, or project management). These candidates had the foundational skills and enthusiasm to succeed but lacked industry-specific experience.
Structured Training Program
The trainees underwent a rigorous, hands-on training program designed to equip them with the technical knowledge, customer service skills, and regulatory understanding required for service planning. The program combined classroom instruction, mentorship from the retired expert, and real-world, on-the-job training.
Apprenticeship Model
Once the training period concluded, the utility had the opportunity to evaluate and hire the top-performing trainees. This ensured they selected the best and brightest talent while we managed the entire training process.
Flexible Hiring Option
Once the training period concluded, the utility had the opportunity to evaluate and hire the top-performing trainees. This ensured they selected the best and brightest talent while we managed the entire training process.

Benefits

Talent Pipeline Established: The utility gained access to a steady pipeline of skilled service planners, effectively addressing both immediate and long-term staffing needs.
Improved Service Delivery: With a fully staffed and well-trained team, the utility reduced service planning delays, improved customer satisfaction, and enhanced operational efficiency.
Cost-Effective Solution: By avoiding the high costs of traditional recruitment and onboarding, the utility saved resources while investing in a sustainable talent development model.
Local Talent Development: The program provided opportunities for local graduates, fostering community engagement and strengthening the utility’s reputation as an employer of choice.

Athena's Solution

We partnered with the utility to design and implement a Train-to-Hire program, a tailored approach to bridge the talent gap. Here’s how we delivered results:

Leveraging Retired Expertise
We recruited a retired utility employee with over 40 years of experience in service planning. This individual collaborated with us and the utility to develop a comprehensive, utility-specific training syllabus, ensuring the program aligned with the company’s operational needs and standards.
Targeted Recruitment
We identified and hired recent community college graduates with associate degrees in relevant fields (e.g., engineering technology, business, or project management). These candidates had the foundational skills and enthusiasm to succeed but lacked industry-specific experience.
Structured Training Program
The trainees underwent a rigorous, hands-on training program designed to equip them with the technical knowledge, customer service skills, and regulatory understanding required for service planning. The program combined classroom instruction, mentorship from the retired expert, and real-world, on-the-job training.
Apprenticeship Model
Once the training period concluded, the utility had the opportunity to evaluate and hire the top-performing trainees. This ensured they selected the best and brightest talent while we managed the entire training process.
Flexible Hiring Option
Once the training period concluded, the utility had the opportunity to evaluate and hire the top-performing trainees. This ensured they selected the best and brightest talent while we managed the entire training process.

Benefits

Talent Pipeline Established: The utility gained access to a steady pipeline of skilled service planners, effectively addressing both immediate and long-term staffing needs.
Improved Service Delivery: With a fully staffed and well-trained team, the utility reduced service planning delays, improved customer satisfaction, and enhanced operational efficiency.
Cost-Effective Solution: By avoiding the high costs of traditional recruitment and onboarding, the utility saved resources while investing in a sustainable talent development model.
Local Talent Development: The program provided opportunities for local graduates, fostering community engagement and strengthening the utility’s reputation as an employer of choice.

Athena's Solution

We partnered with the utility to design and implement a Train-to-Hire program, a tailored approach to bridge the talent gap. Here’s how we delivered results:

Leveraging Retired Expertise
We recruited a retired utility employee with over 40 years of experience in service planning. This individual collaborated with us and the utility to develop a comprehensive, utility-specific training syllabus, ensuring the program aligned with the company’s operational needs and standards.
Targeted Recruitment
We identified and hired recent community college graduates with associate degrees in relevant fields (e.g., engineering technology, business, or project management). These candidates had the foundational skills and enthusiasm to succeed but lacked industry-specific experience.
Structured Training Program
The trainees underwent a rigorous, hands-on training program designed to equip them with the technical knowledge, customer service skills, and regulatory understanding required for service planning. The program combined classroom instruction, mentorship from the retired expert, and real-world, on-the-job training.
Apprenticeship Model
Once the training period concluded, the utility had the opportunity to evaluate and hire the top-performing trainees. This ensured they selected the best and brightest talent while we managed the entire training process.
Flexible Hiring Option
Once the training period concluded, the utility had the opportunity to evaluate and hire the top-performing trainees. This ensured they selected the best and brightest talent while we managed the entire training process.

Benefits

Talent Pipeline Established: The utility gained access to a steady pipeline of skilled service planners, effectively addressing both immediate and long-term staffing needs.
Improved Service Delivery: With a fully staffed and well-trained team, the utility reduced service planning delays, improved customer satisfaction, and enhanced operational efficiency.
Cost-Effective Solution: By avoiding the high costs of traditional recruitment and onboarding, the utility saved resources while investing in a sustainable talent development model.
Local Talent Development: The program provided opportunities for local graduates, fostering community engagement and strengthening the utility’s reputation as an employer of choice.

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