ComEd Joins City Colleges of Chicago to Announce Accreditation of Power Up Academy and Celebrate Graduates Who Will All Matriculate to Dawson Tech

Career Training Program Provides Participants an Opportunity to Earn a Semester's Worth of Credits During 14-Week Training

ComEd today joined workforce partners and members of the community in celebrating its newest graduating class from Power Up Academy, a career training program launched last year to remove barriers to entry for local residents pursuing engineering related careers. During the event, City Colleges of Chicago and ComEd announced plans to expand their partnership through the accreditation of the program, ensuring that all past and future participants of the program will have the opportunity to qualify for up to 13 credit hours as part of their 14-week training program. This recent cohort of graduates plans to attend Kennedy-King College's Dawson Technical Institute to pursue a degree in this field of study.

"ComEd's Power Up Academy is helping ensure more of our diverse communities are a significant part of the opportunity for good-paying jobs in the engineering related professions. And our expanded partnership with City Colleges of Chicago will ensure that participants of this program have a chance to gain entry to in-demand roles supporting the grid and the fast-growing energy sector here in Illinois," said Mark Baranek, SVP of technical services at ComEd. "With the clean energy transition underway in Illinois, this will require the region to develop more skilled and diverse talent to help us modernize the grid and ensure continued reliability for more than 9 million people who depend on ComEd every day."

The accreditation of Power Up Academy will offer graduates the chance to earn up to 13 college credit hours towards a relevant degree program at the City Colleges of Chicago. For participants of the ComEd training program, this eliminates roughly an entire semester of college coursework free of cost and helps support trainees in continual career advancement.

"Our partnership with ComEd is impacting lives by creating a clear career path that leads to a family sustaining wage," said Dr. Webb Walker, president of Kennedy-King College. "In-line with our equity goals, The Power Up Academy and Professional Pathways initiative is giving our talented students the access and the ability to earn a degree in a high demand field, one that leads to success in work and in life, a mission we all share."

"We're thrilled to see our partnership with ComEd and Revolution Workshop blossom into a powerful collaboration that truly accelerates career paths for graduates of the Power Up Academy and Professional Pathways," said Dean Inesha Kelly, Kennedy-King College's Dawson Technical Institute. "This initiative gives students a significant head start on their Associate Degree in Applied Science in Construction Management, with 13 earned credits and tuition support for an additional 19 credits. Together, we're are making the pathway to success in construction management more accessible and affordable than ever."

The Power Up Academy, first launched last year, is a joint initiative by ComEd and local workforce agencies (leaders pictured including Kennedy-King College President Webb Walker and Dean Kelly) and engineering firms to increase diverse pathways to the engineering type roles by removing common barriers, like the upfront requirement of a college degree.

A diverse class of 9 graduates from across Chicago has completed the 14-week training program, preparing them for expanding career opportunities in the energy sector. Growing access to engineering and technical service roles at the company is critical for maintaining the grid, and as ComEd prepares to lead the clean energy transition, which could bring as many as 150,000 jobs to Illinois by 2050. Engineering related roles are a big component of this, with the sector seeing a surge in demand nationally.

The Power Up Academy, first launched last year, is a joint initiative by ComEd and local workforce agencies and engineering firms to increase diverse pathways to the engineering type roles by removing common barriers, like the upfront requirement of a college degree. To deliver training and recruit for the program, ComEd works with local agency Revolution Workshop, as well as five local engineering firms who sponsor the program and consider hiring graduates. The program currently has a more than 80 percent job placement rate, with many going on to work either at ComEd or at other sponsor companies like Primera and HBK Engineering.

"As we gear up to take on new projects supporting the advancement of renewable and more efficient energy technology, it's important that we expand these opportunities to those in our communities who are interested in joining the field, no matter their background," said Eric Bergstrom, president of HBK Engineering. "Thanks to our coalition that created Power Up Academy, HBK is already seeing the quality talent coming out of the program, helping us prepare our teams with the talent needed to make a lasting impact on the future of our communities."

Over the course of the program, participants gain industry knowledge, project management skills, and proficiency working with AutoCAD, a computer-aided design (CAD) software that is a typical qualification for entry-level technical roles that support grid maintenance.

"We're proud to continue developing Power Up Academy alongside our partners to ensure we're removing barriers for our community members to pursue a variety of career paths in the engineering field," said Manny Rodriguez, co-founder and executive director of Revolution Workshop. "By now offering college credit hours as part of our training, participants stand to gain not only a head start in earning a college degree but the confidence to seek out promotions in the future."

Power Up Academy's most recent graduates reflect the diversity of ComEd's service area spanning northern Illinois, with nearly 90 percent of graduates identifying as people of color and almost 80 percent female. ComEd has hired from the first cohort of Power Up graduates who are already contributing to efforts to maintain one of the most reliable grids in the nation, including Kala Wheeler, an associate engineering design tech with ComEd who has recently began to pursue a degree in Technology Engineering with an emphasis in Sustainability and Renewable Energy.

"Power Up Academy gave me direction and the tools to pursue a career in a field where the work I do directly impacts the future of my community," said Kala Wheeler, Power Up Academy 2023 graduate. "It's been great forming part of ComEd's team where I'm constantly learning and growing. I'm excited for my future in the engineering space and can now confirm that as long as you believe in yourself you can reach the opportunities that are out there."

Power Up Academy will hold another class next fall. For updates on how and when to apply, follow ComEd on social media and check back on ComEd.com/CleanEnergyJobs.

Power Up Academy is only one of ComEd's latest initiatives expanding investments in job training opportunities to connect the wealth of untapped talent in its diverse service region to the growing opportunities presented by the clean energy transition. Last year, ComEd's job training, apprenticeship, and STEM education programs reached more than 2,000 residents. To learn more about ComEd's career readiness programs, please visit ComEd.com/CleanEnergyJobs.

(Photo Credit: ComEd)

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