Training program connects Atlanta residents with Georgia's growing energy sector
A group of Atlanta residents is celebrating a major milestone after completing a workforce training program designed to connect participants with careers in Georgia's growing energy industry.
Graduates of the Career Pre-Employment Training, or CPET Program, were recognized during a ceremony Monday night in Southwest Atlanta at Community Church on Cascade Avenue.
The free 10-session program provides job-readiness training, pre-employment testing support, and industry-specific skills development for careers in areas that include power delivery, plant operations, and customer service.
The initiative is a partnership between Westside Resilience Corridor, Georgia Power, the City of Atlanta, and Groundswell. Technical training for the program is provided by Georgia Power.
Organizers said the goal is to create more pathways to stable, high-paying careers for Atlanta-area residents while helping meet workforce needs in the energy sector.
One graduate said the program has already changed his future. He received a job offer before graduation.
"It is with Grid Alternatives and Black Sustainability. It is an organization based in Atlanta that focuses on solar panels, installations, renewable energy, and I also learned a new term, agrivoltaics, which is a combination of agriculture and solar panels, so being able to grow food and use solar energy, Qualon Bobbitt said.
Organizers hope to continue expanding the program and creating additional workforce opportunities across Atlanta.
Mayor Andre Dickens delivered the keynote address to the graduates.