ATLANTA, Aug. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its
longstanding commitment to the military, Southern Company today
recognized the first graduates of the transmission line and
substation construction apprentice training program the company
helped establish at Fort Stewart
near Savannah, Ga.
A Troops to Energy jobs founding member, Southern Company
partnered with the U.S. Army to develop the new program providing
specialized training to service members stationed at the military
base. All 10 soldiers who completed the three-week training course
– which included segments on safety and compliance, as well as
hands-on experience with tools and equipment – received job offers
from Southern Company subsidiary Georgia Power.
"As a longtime supporter of the military, Southern Company is
proud to enhance our recruitment efforts through this innovative
partnership with the U.S. Army," said Southern Company Chief
Operating Officer Kimberly S.
Greene. "By bringing this specialized training to
Fort Stewart, we are helping
veterans successfully transition to civilian life while putting
their unique skills to work for the benefit of the customers we
serve."
The new training program at Fort
Stewart was developed in support of Soldier for Life, a U.S.
Army program designed to assist military service members and their
families in the transition from active duty to the civilian job
market.
Southern Company believes that military service members'
commitment to safety, teamwork and excellence in their work aligns
well with the core values of the utility industry. Ten percent of
the Southern Company system's 26,000 employees are veterans or
serve in the National Guard or Reserve. Veterans account for 14
percent of the system's new hires this year.
Broadly recognized for its ongoing support of military personnel
and leadership in military recruitment, Southern Company is the
top-ranked energy company and No. 3 overall in the 2014
DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Veterans, the top-ranked energy
company and No. 13 overall in the Military Times EDGE Best for
Vets: Employers 2014 survey and among the Most Valuable Employers
for Military® by CivilianJobs.com for five consecutive
years.
In addition, Southern Company was awarded the 2010 Secretary of
Defense Employer Support Freedom Award – the highest honor given by
the Department of Defense for support of employees who serve in the
National Guard or Reserve – and the Pro Patria Award for leadership
in providing benefits to military employees. G.I. Jobs has named Southern Company the
nation's highest-ranked utility in its Top 100 Military
Friendly Employers® listing for seven consecutive
years.
The company also actively recruits members of the Navy as a
Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program partner and has pledged to support
the Joining Forces initiative. In addition, Southern Company
annually participates in more than 30 military recruitment events
and partners with military transition centers across the
country.
With 4.4 million customers and nearly 46,000 megawatts of
generating capacity, Atlanta-based
Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving
the Southeast through its subsidiaries. A leading U.S. producer of
clean, safe, reliable and affordable electricity, Southern Company
owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive
generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless
communications. Southern Company brands are known for energy
innovation, excellent customer service, high reliability and retail
electric prices that are below the national average. Southern
Company and its subsidiaries are leading the nation's nuclear
renaissance through the construction of the first new nuclear units
to be built in a generation of Americans and are demonstrating
their commitment to energy innovation through the development of a
state-of-the-art coal gasification plant. Southern Company has been
recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense and G.I. Jobs magazine as a top military employer
and listed by DiversityInc as a top company for Blacks. The company
received the 2012 Edison Award from the Edison Electric Institute
for its leadership in new nuclear development, was named Electric
Light & Power magazine's Utility of the Year for 2012 and is
continually ranked among the top utilities in Fortune's annual
World's Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility rankings. Visit our
website at www.southerncompany.com.
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SOURCE Southern Company