Eversource-Bunker Hill Community College Partnership Recognized by First Lady

Thursday, July 21, 2022

Summer Interns Share Experiences with Dr. Jill Biden as EPUT Program Creates a Pathway to Good-Paying Utility Jobs 

With the utility industry experiencing a high demand for skilled workers, Eversource and Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) were recognized for their longstanding commitment to training and supporting the next generation of electric utility workers by First Lady of the United States Dr. Jill Biden, U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, and U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley on Friday. Dr. Biden praised the Electric Power Utility Technology (EPUT) program and stressed the importance of creating similar partnerships between companies and community colleges throughout the country. 

“This is a pathway for families. I’ve traveled all over the country to look at workforce development and how we are married with community colleges,” said First Lady Dr. Jill Biden. “I want to mention that Eversource also offers scholarships for students to attend their program so not only do they pay but they offer scholarships so it’s a wonderful program.” 

During her tour of an Eversource substation in Boston, Dr. Biden spoke with three BHCC students who just completed the first year of the EPUT program and are interning with Eversource this summer. Dr. Biden emphasized the need to diversify the workforce and create more opportunities for women in the industry. She also had the opportunity to meet EPUT alumni who are now working for Eversource and serving as mentors for the students. 

“This program can open doors to a skilled trade that is meaningful work and pays competitively, which can change the life of an individual or a family,” said Eversource Substation Operating Mechanic and EPUT Mentor Brady Horrace. “I grew up pretty poor, kind of a rough life, but people helped me swim instead of sink and that could be these students. I want to see them succeed.” 

First launched in 2004 in partnership with UWUA Local 369 and BHCC, the Electric Power Utility Technology (EPUT) partnership was designed to build a diverse pipeline of technical talent for critical positions in electric operations, and later incorporated a gas certificate in a partnership with USW Local 12004. The competitive program receives more than 200 applications each year for only 18 spots, and selected students receive classroom education and real-world training in the field with Eversource crews. Additionally, Eversource provides partial tuition funding for student through paid internships and a stipend. 

“The EPUT program represents the Community College movement at its best,” said BHCC President Pam Eddinger. “For BHCC students, it represents access—access to good jobs after they graduate, and access to financial and educational support that they receive while they are in school. We are so fortunate to have a partner in Eversource who shares BHCC's commitment to doing whatever it takes to help our students rise.

“Our partnership with UWUA Local 369 and USW Local 12004, and BHCC has been critical to the success of the EPUT program as we develop and train diverse employees who live and work in the communities we serve each day,” said Eversource Executive Vice President for Human Resources and Information Technology Christine Carmody. “As our workforce ages and we see more retirements, EPUT graduates are an important part of our operation, helping to ensure we continue to have the qualified employees we need to provide safe, reliable service for all of our customers.”

In addition to the EPUT partnership with BHCC, Eversource has also launched five other community college programs throughout its service territory as the company looks for innovative ways to develop a unique pipeline of diverse, technical talent, which has proven to be a successful strategy.  

Those programs include:

• Electrical Lineworker Program—Manchester Community College, NH 
• Natural Gas Field Technician Certificate Program—Middlesex Community College, CT  
• Lineworker Certificate Program—Capital Community College, CT 
• Internship Partner—Naugatuck Community College, CT 
• Lineworker Certificate Program—Housatonic Community College, CT  

For more information about EPUT and Eversource’s partnership programs with other community colleges across its three-state service territory, please visit Eversource.com. 

Bunker Hill Community College’s established the EPUT program in partnership with Eversource almost 20 years ago, and it remains one of the most successful such programs in the region. For more information, including how to apply, visit bhcc.edu/eput. 

Bunker Hill Community College is the largest community college in Massachusetts, enrolling approximately 18,000 students annually. BHCC has two campuses in Charlestown and Chelsea, and a number of other locations throughout the Greater Boston area. BHCC is one of the most diverse institutions of higher education in Massachusetts. Sixty-five percent of the students are people of color and more than half of BHCC's students are women. The College also enrolls nearly 600 international students who come from 94 countries and speak more than 75 languages.  

Eversource (NYSE: ES), celebrated as a national leader for its corporate citizenship, is the #1 energy company in Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies for 2021 and recognized as one of America’s Most JUST Companies. Celebrated as a national leader for its corporate citizenship, Eversource transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas and supplies water to 1.8 million customers throughout Massachusetts, including approximately 1.46 million electric customers in 140 communities, 638,000 gas customers in 110 communities, and 8,900 water customers in five communities. Eversource harnesses the commitment of approximately 9,200 employees across three states to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and water with superior customer service. The #1 energy efficiency provider in the nation, the company is empowering a clean energy future in the Northeast, with nationally recognized energy efficiency solutions and successful programs to integrate new clean energy resources like solar, offshore wind, electric vehicles and battery storage, into the electric system. For more information, please visit eversource.com, and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For more information on our water services, visit aquarionwater.com.