There are many reasons to consider a career at an electric cooperative, like Diverse Power, where meaningful and varied jobs touch all aspects of the utility business. And with many jobs at electric cooperatives becoming vacant in the near future, now might be a good time to consider a career with the co-ops.

By 2017, 55 percent of electric co-op CEOs in the United States will be eligible for retirement; that number jumps to 75 percent in 10 years, according to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). Many new positions may be opening at co-ops across America as workers in other electric cooperative job categories also approach retirement in the next five years, including:

• 37 percent of senior managers

• 31 percent of supervisors

• 26 percent of system operations employees

• 24 percent of engineers

• 16 percent of linemen and equipment operators

• 14 percent of information technology specialists

Cooperatives are great places to work because we put people over profits. Co-op employees enjoy autonomy in their jobs and have opportunity to build relationships within their cooperative and both state and national cooperative networks. Long careers in electric cooperatives are common because of the industry’s stability. As nonprofit businesses, cooperative have to generate money to operate and meet financial lending requirements, but any revenue over operating expenses is returned to our member-owners in the form of patronage capital credits.

As retirements at electric cooperatives across the nation begin to occur, the co-ops are equipping new recruits to offer quality service by providing pre-employment training programs.

Nationally, electric cooperative career opportunities are listed at TouchstoneEnergy.jobs. In Georgia, the nonprofit Georgia Energy and Industrial Construction Consortium (GEICC) works with member representatives from investor-owned and municipal electricity providers, electric cooperatives, energy industry contractors, state workforce development, educators, and organized labor to ensure a skilled workforce to meet future industry needs.

At Diverse Power, we join in the mission to help create workable solutions to meet the need for a qualified, diverse workforce to keep reliable and affordable electricity flowing to America’s rural homes and businesses.