For Hometown News
ST. LUCIE COUNTY -
Bright futures await 23 highly skilled graduates of the Power Plant Technology Institute developed by Indian River State College and Florida Power & Light Company in partnership with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
At the July 31 graduation ceremony, Bob Hughes, FP&L St. Lucie nuclear power plant general manager, officially hired 18 students, presenting them with letters of employment and their first FPL hard hats.
Three of the students will be the first program graduates to be hired by FP&L for careers in the transmission and substation department, working in the construction and operation of the infrastructure needed to distribute electricity.
FP&L also recognized five graduates currently employed at the St. Lucie nuclear power plant who enhanced their skills through the program.
The graduates of the two-year program received a comprehensive education in power plant operations and technologies, gaining hands-on experience through a paid summer internship at the St. Lucie nuclear power plant and earning associate in applied science degrees.
The new hires will begin their jobs this summer with full-time positions at FPL's St. Lucie nuclear power plant at competitive salaries with attractive benefits packages.
With the support of grants from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy and National Science Foundation, the program is designed to support workforce development and respond to the growing energy need on the Treasure Coast for employees trained in the latest energy technologies.
Since the programs' inception five years ago, 99 graduates have been hired by FPL.
Students in the program choose to major in one of five areas: instrumentation and controls, electrical maintenance, mechanical maintenance, radiological protection and the new specialization in transmission and substation.
Institute classes are held in the college's Kight Center for Emerging Technologies at the main campus in Fort Pierce.
For more information, call (866) 792-4772.