Microsoft word - keystone utilities industry partnership march 2009 update 4-21-09

Keystone Utilities
Industry Partnership
A Statewide Joint Partnership to Meet the Needs of Pennsylvania’s Utilities Workforce
Funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry
March 2009 Update
Industry Partnership Survey
We thank the KUIP Survey Committee - Jane Cuff, Donna Clark, Mike Love, Mike Welsh, Jan Lauer, Colleen Suscewicz, Suzanne Noll, and Carrie Kutney. They approved the survey and 116 were distributed. Plus, it’s posted on line. To get the link for the survey, contact Brian Price . The information that you provide will be used to define priorities set by industry stakeholders for grant proposals. Please take the time to complete the survey. We received 30 responses by the end of March. The deadline to complete the survey had been extended to April 11, 2009. Please make
every effort to meet this new deadline. Let us know if you still want to participate in the survey.
KUIP is an open minded surveyor so we will include your input after the deadline. KUIP will
provide a report that will be available for the Industry Partnership.
KUIP welcomes our newest members to the Partnership
Gas Sector: T.W. Phillips and UWUA local 242 McKeesport Municipal and Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) Local 433 The Partnership continues to expand and create more effective economies of scale. There are now 15 employers and 10 unions participating. KUIP acknowledges Jan Lauer (Three Rivers Clean Energy Industry Partnership), Sam Gianetti (West Central Workforce Investment Area), the PA AFL-CIO, the IBEW and the UWUA for their outreach support to pave the way for the Partnership to grow. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
The KUIP is a model program and an appropriate candidate for ARRA funding. With the capacity to manage programs across multiple sectors of the economy, the Keystone Development Partnership (KDP) possesses a well-documented and proven track record for programs addressing a wide range of cross-industry work skills and disciplines. KDP offers grant writing support to leverage Industry Partnership grants for ARRA Funds. KDP is in contact with the appropriate agencies to stay current with the ARRA funding procedures as they are finalized. With your participation, KDP is able to utilize grant opportunities for our Partnership. The ARRA offers a once-in-a-life-time opportunity to dramatically expand training and confront utilities industry challenges. KDP has created a Training Proposal Form for your convenience. With this information, we can match the funding opportunities with specific proposals to meet your company’s needs. Please contact Brian Price at (215) for more info.
KUIP Training
Note: All training must be completed by June 30, 2009
KUIP to initiate statewide curriculum standards committee
Employers and union members have expressed interest in meeting to catalogue best practices for training. Please contact Brian Price at (215) 732-7476 ext. 21 or you wish to serve or can delegate someone. Electric Sector
Duquesne Light and IBEW Local 29
Substation Training: A substation joint work group has been formed and is in the process of
conducting a workforce training analysis needed to customize training curriculum.
Customer Care Training: A Customer Care joint work group conducted training analysis that
leads to customized curriculum allowing Customer Care to deliver customized training to its
workers.
Stimulus Team: Duquesne Light has formed a stimulus team to research ARRA grant
opportunities. KDP is assisting this group by identifying funding opportunities and
communicating with the agencies.
First Energy Nuclear Operations Company and IBEW Local 29
Steering Committee Established: A steering committee has been created to oversee
Industry Partnership activities.
Tele-Data Training: The Steering Committee determined that the Tele-Data department had
the most urgent training needs. They are exploring Motorola Radio, Federal Signal early
warning training and Bosch Telex – radio communication devices.
Reliant Energy and IBEW Local 29
Statewide Beck Drive Training: A statewide Beck Drive training initiative identified 50
trainees. There may be slots available for other partners’ members. This is a very cost
effective training.
Electrical Breaker Training: Research is already underway to identify a vendor for breaker
training.
PPL and IBEW Local 1600
PPL has seats available in the following classes for IP members: Basic Masonry, Painting,
HVAC Systems, and Advanced HVAC. This is a multi-employer, multi-industry training
activity.
Sunbury Power Generation and IBEW Local 1600
A Steering Committee was developed to explore training opportunities. Sunbury will partner with Reliant for Beck Drive training. They are also conducting a Plant Equipment Operator Apprenticeship Program and at the same time, exploring crane operator training. Exelon Power and IBEW Local 614
Exelon, our newest partner, is exploring Partnership activities, with an emphasis on substation training. IBEW Local 712, and Bruce and Merrilees
IBEW Local 712, and Bruce and Merrilees approached KDP in response to the upcoming wave of training needed for green technologies. KDP and Educational Data Systems Inc. (EDSI) will begin a two-track, green technology training analysis: 1) Catalogue the training and certifications the workers will need to do the work and 2) Determine what training contractors will need to address the work. This may include an in-depth understanding of the subsidies available, and how to complete an energy audit. Both Partners see this as an opportunity to lead the industry in green technology training Pennsylvania American Water and UWUA Local 537
Backhoe Training: Backhoe training started in 2008 and continues as a multi-employer,
statewide initiative. Training is scheduled for April 13, 14, and 15, with McKeesport and
Equitable trainees attending.
Dam Safety Training: Dam Safety training will be held on April 29, 2009 in Wilkes Barre. The
class is open to partnership members. Out of 40 seats, 8 remain. An application for 7.5
contact hours for continuing education credits through the Department of Environmental
Protection is pending.
Line Location: An assessment of training needs revealed a need for line location training.
Training on the Fisher RD-400 model will be held on May 1st. This is a full day of training with
classroom instruction in the morning and hands on practice in the afternoon.
McKeesport and UWUA Local 433
McKeesport has been introduced to KUIP, through an invitation from PA American Water to attend backhoe training. We are in the process of scheduling a presentation. UGI and IBEW Local 1456
KUIP has three statewide training initiatives in response to the surge in road construction. Twelve union locals are participating in this training. Statewide Backhoe training: Now a statewide multi-employer initiative.
Statewide Line Locator Training: A training need at UGI, T.W. Phillips, and PA American
Water.
Statewide Leak Detection Training: This training goes hand-in-hand with line locator
training.
T.W. Phillips and UWUA, local 242
Line Locator Training: Identified as a training need at UGI, T.W. Phillips, and PA American
Water.
Backhoe training: As with UGI above, this is now a statewide, multi-employer initiative.
Equitable Gas and United Steel Workers 12050
Equitable Gas has accepted an offer from PA American Water to send workers for backhoe training. KUIP is scheduling a labor/management meeting to present the KDP process.

Source: http://www.kdpworks.org/images/March_2009_Update.pdf