Chris Holman welcomes Michael Flowers, Executive Director of Human Resources, Lansing Board of Water & Light,, Lansing, MI Capital Area Michigan Works! M.V.P. for October BWL.
As it is Careers in Energy Week, Lansing Board of Water & Lights is excited to share information on how they have been creating careers at the Lansing Board of Water & Light for the last decade. Flowers keeps the Michigan Business Network up-to-date on some of programs.
1st S.T.E.P., also known as the School to Training and Employment Program, began at the BWL in 2008. 1st S.T.E.P. is a work-based learning program for high school seniors in the BWL’s service area to teach students necessary skills to enter the workforce.
Students must be able to work up to four hours a day as part of their school’s co-op or internship program, be 17 years old by Jan. 1 and have a minimum GPA of a 2.0. Students must be planning to pursue post-secondary education and training in skilled trades beyond high school and have plans to stay in the greater Lansing region after graduation. BWL believes it is important to note that the talent pipeline starts before high school graduation. By training young adults who want to live and work in greater Lansing, BWL are strengthening the future of our region’s skilled trades talent pipeline together.
This program has been extremely successful for BWL and for the students. More than 100 students have graduated from 1st S.T.E.P. and about 20 have been hired by BWL full-time.
They have awarded more than $150,000 in scholarships and much of the success of the 1st S.T.E.P. program is attributed to the partnerships with local school districts in Ingham and Eaton counties. They continue to have full auditoriums at our informational sessions for students and parents.
For more information on BWL’s 1st S.T.E.P. program, visit: www.lbwl.com/1step/.
