Forty rising Baldwin County high school seniors will join Daphne Utilities, Gulf Shores Utilities, North Baldwin Utilities, Belforest Water System, Riviera Utilities, and Fairhope Utilities, this summer as a part of the Baldwin County Utilities Internship beginning on June 3, 2024.
Working closely with partners at the Southwest Alabama Workforce Development Commission (SAWDC) and Baldwin County Board of Education (BCBE), the County’s local utilities received 87 student applications from 14 private and public schools, offering utility internships in electric, gas, water, wastewater, warehouse, customer service, engineering and administrative services.
Baldwin County students worked closely with career coaches on their applications and prepped for interviews in April. This year, two interns will be placed with Gulf Shores, five with Daphne, eight with Fairhope, four with North Baldwin, one with Belforest Water System, and 20 with Riviera Utilities.
“We are excited to participate in the Baldwin County Utilities Internship,” said Rhonda Butler, General Manager for Gulf Shores Utilities
“We have had very positive experiences with this program and our interns over the past few years. This program provides students with hands-on experience in utility work. It also provides an opportunity to expand awareness in local schools of career potential in our industry. We are thankful to be a part of this experience.”
This is the program’s fourth year, and the growth has astonished all participating utilities. In 2021, Riviera Utilities piloted the program and received 55 student applicants. The program has since added five more utilities and nearly doubled its student applicants.
Several participating utilities have hired former interns after graduation or allowed them to continue work during their senior year through the Alabama State Department’s Work-Based Learning Program.
“We’re very excited for this year’s group of interns,” said Scott Polk, General Manager and CEO for Daphne Utilities. “Not only does this program allow the interns the opportunity to explore a potential career in the Utility Industry, but it also allows our staff the opportunity to learn how to better interact with, supervise, and manage the next generation of potential employees. It’s a great opportunity and experience for both the interns and our current employees.”
Baldwin County’s 2024 Utility Interns met with their utility supervisors and kicked off the summer on May 20, 2024, during Signing Day at Foley Civic Center. Parents of students, members of the media, and local school and city representatives were in attendance.
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