PSE&G, one of the largest utility companies in New Jersey, will be investing $1 billion through multiple energy efficiency programs. These programs are designed to reduce environmental impacts and help customers decrease energy consumption. As part of the state’s clean energy vision and plan, The JPI group is tasked with helping them to achieve their goal of hiring more than 2,000 New Jersey residents for clean energy jobs.
The clean energy sector is a rapidly growing industry and PSE&G quickly discovered a shortage of skilled talent in the labor force. They also wanted to intentionally hire diverse candidates from historically underrepresented groups within the local communities they serve.
PSE&G approached The JPI Group to create an On the Jobs Training Program so they could tap into our workforce planning and diversity hiring expertise as they work to recruit 2,000 new candidates into the clean energy industry. The skill sets include Field Technicians,Weatherization Technicians, Energy Efficiency Specialists, and Administrative Assistants.
We first worked with PSE&G’s stakeholders to create the framework for the program. Then our team of experts identified local community partners such as, unemployment agencies, non profit organizations, and training institutions to help find talent in historically underrepresented groups.
Our next priority was strategically partnering with local companies in the clean energy sector to help determine their workforce needs. During our robust screening process, we selected the best candidates for the program based on their soft skills, transferable skills, and their willingness to learn a new industry.
Ultimately, PSE&G felt relieved that our team was able to not only create a thorough strategy but effectively execute it, too.
After launching a mini pilot program, we increased our outreach to more than 75 community partners. Our direct recruiting process involved connecting with over 3,000 candidates, interviewing 150 of them and hiring 38 trainees within five months. Additionally, we were proud to provide PSE&G with a candidate pool that’s 84% diverse, including those who self identify as female.
