College and PSE&G Partner to Develop Nation’s First Bachelor of Science Degree Program in Energy Utility Technology

The 120-credit Bachelor of Science in Applied Science and Technology degree in Energy Utility Technology at Thomas Edison State College has a curriculum that focuses on the technical core competencies integral to the utility industry and the principles of business and management. The new program leverages PSE&G training and builds on the associate degree programs in energy utility technology the company has helped to develop and implement at Mercer County Community College, Essex County College and Middlesex County College.

“This degree program will provide PSE&G with a pipeline of new and diverse talent and it will help us address our future workforce needs,” said Ralph Izzo, PSE&G’s president and chief operating officer. “Some 20 percent of our employees will likely retire over the next couple of years and we’ll need qualified people to fill their shoes. This program will help to supply them.”

The program will provide students with the technical knowledge, problem-solving and management expertise and hands-on skills necessary to perform at the leadership level in the design, installation, evaluation, operation and maintenance of energy utility systems, such as electric, gas, water and telecommunications. 

“By creating the first career pathway from an associates degree to a baccalaureate degree in energy utility technology, we are helping to prepare the next generation of utility leaders and helping the industry meet significant labor shortages projected for the coming years,” said Dr. George A. Pruitt, president of Thomas Edison State College.

It is estimated that approximately half of the utility workers employed today, or about 300,000 workers, are expected to retire in the next 15 years, according to a 2005 study by the Utility Business Education Coalition. A separate report, issued in 2005 by the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce  Development at Rutgers University that analyzed the responses of 39 utility companies that took part in a workforce survey, found that first line supervisors and managers are expected to be a top hiring need through 2010.

In developing the new baccalaureate degree program, Thomas Edison State College teamed up with experts from academia and the industry. 

Field supervisors, engineers and managers from PSE&G helped identify job duties, skills, educational objectives and learning outcomes that would be important for a baccalaureate degree in energy utility technology. In addition, top industry experts from across the country worked with the college to assess technical training courses and curriculum at the PSE&G Training and Development Center. PSE&G employees who completed training courses at the center can transfer that training into college credit that may be applied to the baccalaureate degree program in energy utility technology.

“We went away from the traditional model of developing a degree program in order to best understand what expertise needed to be gained with a four-year degree focusing on energy utility technology,” said Marcus Tillery, Ph.D., dean of the School of Applied Science and Technology at Thomas Edison State College. “The result is a program that combines the technical core of the field with business management and general education, including technical writing, social sciences and natural sciences.”

Those interested in finding out more about the utility degree program are encouraged to call (888) 442-8372, visit www.tesc.edu or e-mail the college at info@tesc.edu.

In addition to the degree program, PSE&G has enrolled in the college’s Corporate Choice™ program, which enables PSE&G employees to maximize the use of the company’s tuition assistance program and gain greater access to the college’s degree programs, which are all designed around the unique needs of adult learners.

About PSE&G
Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) is New Jersey’s oldest and largest regulated gas and electric delivery utility, serving nearly three-quarters of the state’s population. PSE&G is the winner of the ReliabilityOne National Achievement Award for superior electric system reliability. PSE&G is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), a diversified energy company www.pseg.com.

About Thomas Edison State College
Thomas Edison State College provides flexible, high-quality, collegiate learning opportunities for self-directed adults and is regionally accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of College and Schools. One of New Jersey’s 12 senior public institutions of higher education, the College offers 17 associate, baccalaureate and master’s degrees in more than 100 areas of study. Students earn degrees through a wide variety of rigorous and high-quality academic methods that can be customized to meet their individual needs. Identified by Forbes magazine as one of the top 20 colleges and universities in the nation in the use of technology to create learning opportunities for adults, Thomas Edison State College is a national leader in the assessment of adult learning and a pioneer in the use of educational technologies.