2022 CC Transition Report Spreads Flat Final - Flipbook - Page 12
Employee support and coordination with labor unions
Employee support
Talent is our most valuable asset. We are committed to
working with employees on options to manage their
careers. As we make decisions about our generating fleet
and related infrastructure, we maintain a constant focus
on our people. Southern Company works diligently to
plan and organize so that we are well-prepared for
the future.
Our goal for any employee affected by our fleet
transition is to provide opportunities that support
them in actively managing their careers – whether
that involves reassignment to a similar role at another
company facility, receiving training to gain new skills or
helping them transfer to other parts of the company.
While we may not always be able to achieve the same
outcome, we take pride in the fact that since 2007
none of the retirements or fuel conversions of our
coal-fired generating units has resulted in involuntary
employee separations at our plants. It remains our
intention to strive for similar outcomes as we continue
to transition our generating fleet.
We support continued education for our employees
through on-the-job and classroom training as well as
tuition reimbursement. Further, we have robust internal
and external training programs that enhance both
technical skills and professional development. In an
average year, Southern Company employees participate
in more than 1 million hours of training (excluding
nuclear-specific training), and we provide approximately
$2 million of tuition reimbursement.
We also supplement our workforce development
activities through partnerships with organizations like
the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), the American Clean
Power Association and the American Gas Association,
as well as workforce development organizations such
as the Center for Energy Workforce Development
(CEWD). Southern Company is a founding member of
CEWD, a nonprofit consortium of electric, natural gas
and nuclear utilities and their associations. More than
120 utilities, organizations and unions are working
through this consortium to recruit and retain the
best and brightest talent through partnerships with
education institutions and government entities.
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Just Transition Report
Included in CEWD’s 2022 workplan are: Re-skilling,
Upskilling and Redefining Training; Decarbonization
and the Future of the Energy Workforce; Infrastructure
Reform; and Transitioning Workers.
We aim to provide a wide array of opportunities to our
workforce to adapt to our transitioning fleet and to
benefit from the future of energy.
Providing employees with
resources during our transition
We work to support employees during times of
transition, bringing together experts from a range
of disciplines to help employees take an active role
in managing their careers and future. While the
circumstances of each situation are unique,
resources to support employees may include:
>O
ne-on-one informational meetings to better
understand employees’ career goals, interests,
skills and potential training needs
>S
kill-building workshops to support employees
in writing resumes, navigating the job application
process and enhancing interviewing skills for
positions elsewhere in the system
Alabama Power employee successfully
forges new path after plant retirement
Wyatt Williams served as maintenance manager at
Plant Gorgas, a coal-fired generating plant in Alabama
that was retired in 2019. At the time of the plant’s
retirement, Williams’s experience in the Company
allowed him to successfully continue his career
beyond that facility’s retirement.
While Williams had not initially considered a career
at a hydro generating facility, he was inspired by
Southern Company’s work in modernizing the
system’s hydro fleet. Prior leadership development
opportunities and expertise developed in several
manager roles made Williams a good candidate for
a management role in hydropower.
“I had a fundamental background in plant maintenance
and understood managing people,” said Williams,
who joined the hydro team as a river manager on the
Coosa River. “The company gave me great support
that enabled me to quickly gain the knowledge I
needed to succeed and was there for me throughout
my transition.”
After three years as a river manager, Williams was
promoted to operations and maintenance manager
for Alabama Power’s hydro fleet.
> Internal job fairs at plants to help employees
learn about job opportunities in other areas of
Southern Company
>T
uition reimbursement to provide financial
support that helps employees achieve their
educational goals
>O
n-site retirement seminars to support
employees who are considering retirement
“The company gave me great support that enabled me to quickly gain the knowledge I needed
to succeed and was there for me throughout my transition.”
– Wyatt Williams, Alabama Power
Just Transition Report
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