This article is from April 2011.
For military veterans looking to get into the energy industry, Dominion, one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, has launched a pilot program to link thousands of future job openings in the energy industry with troops leaving military service. The pilot will last approximately two years and be carried out by five utilities around the United States.
The "Troops to Energy Jobs" program is part of the national Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD) and features outreach, recruiting, education and training programs for military personnel transitioning into civilian careers in the energy field. The pilot program was announced at a news conference in Richmond, Virginia.
"Thousands of energy jobs are opening up all over the country, and they offer terrific careers to servicemen and -women who have completed their military tours," said Thomas F. Farrell II, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Dominion. "There is a natural fit between the military and the energy industry. Both cultures are civic-minded and, first and foremost, safety-focused. Military personnel are also well-trained and disciplined -- key qualities we look for in this industry."
A 2009 CEWD survey estimates that there will be 100,000 openings in the energy industry by 2015, and as many as 250,000 jobs by the end of the decade.
"This amounts to a huge wave moving through our company and our industry that will leave us urgently in need of finding qualified replacements," Farrell said. "The pool of men and women leaving the military is the perfect place to find a great number of them."
Dominion is known for its support for its military employees, with benefits including a Troop Support program for deployed employees, and up to 100% salary differential paid for up to five years for deployed employees. Dominion's current openings and their military equivalents are mapped out below:
| Air Force Career | Dominion Career |
| Nontechnical careers | Administrative/customer service |
| Technical careers | Craft/technical |
| Specialty careers | Craft/technical |
| Army Career | Dominion Career |
| Administrative support | Administrative/customer service |
| Technical careers | Craft/technical |
| Specialty careers | Craft/technical |
| Transportation and aviation | Craft/technical |
| Arts and media | Professional |
| Computers and technology | Professional |
| Legal and law enforcement | Professional |
| Construction and engineering | Technical/engineering |
| Coast Guard Career | Dominion Career |
| Damage controlman (DC) | Craft |
| Electrician's mate (EM) | Craft |
| Machinery technician (MK) | Craft |
| Aviation maintenance technician (AMT) | Craft/technical |
| Avionics electrical technician (AET) | Craft/technical |
| Marine science technician (MST) | Craft/technical |
| Maritime enforcement specialist (ME) | Professional |
| Public affairs specialist (PA) | Professional |
| Yeoman (YN) | Professional, administration, customer service |
| Storekeeper (SK) | Professional/craft |
| Information system technician (IT) | Professional/technical |
| Electronics technician (ET) | Technical |
| Marine Corps Career | Dominion Career |
| Logistics combat | Administration, customer service, craft, technical, professional |
| Aviation combat | Craft/technical/professional |
| Ground combat | Professional/craft |
| Navy Career | Dominion Career |
| Office and administrative support | Administrative/customer service |
| Construction and building | Craft |
| Energy and power | Craft/technical |
| Nuclear power | Craft/technical |
| Submarine | Craft/technical |
| Civil engineering | Engineering |
| Science | Math and science |
| Attorneys | Professional |
| Business management | Professional |
| Computers | Professional |
| Education | Professional |
| Finance and accounting | Professional |
| Law enforcement and security | Professional |
| Legal | Professional |
| News and media | Professional |
| Public affairs | Professional |
| Purchasing and supply | Professional |
| Human resources | Professional, administrative, customer service |
| Supply, transportation, logistics | Professional/craft |
| Transportation and logistics | Professional/craft |
| Information technology | Professional/technical |
| Electronics | Technical |
| Engineering | Technical |
Other companies participating in the pilot program are Pacific Gas and Energy Company, American Electric Power, and Arizona Public Service and Southern Company.
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