GUAM POWER AUTHORITY APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING PROGRAM The Guam Power Authority (GPA) to date employs 536 full-time employees out of 584 full-time positions. In the mid-90s, GPA s employment rolls were fruitful with employee counts ranging from 608 full-time employees to 668. In 1999, the Government of Guam provided early-out retirement incentives. GPA then suffered losses within its operations divisions with skilled trade personnel opting for retirement. In 2000, Guam s economy slowly declined and spiraled further downward from the devastating impact of the 8.1 Earthquake in 2001 and from Typhoon Cha taan and Super Typhoon Pongsona in July and December 2002, respectively. The recruitment and retention of personnel fluctuated from the years 2000 to 2004. During this time, austerity measures were put into effect and a freeze in salary increments was enforced for public sector employees, including those at GPA. As a result, many employees at GPA sought higher paying jobs both on-island and off-island. In 2005, GPA s workforce slightly increased. However, continues to experience some difficulty in attracting and retaining employees in the skilled trade positions. In addition to this, GPA s workforce is an aging workforce. Over 23% of the employees are 50 years old and above; and 5.2% of employees are below 30. The eldest employee is 78 and the youngest at 24 years of age. Employees between the ages of 31 to 49 comprise 71.6% of GPA s workforce. 1of 5
Within the next nine years, 60 employees within the administrative areas and 159 skilled employees within the occupational trades will be eligible for retirement. This includes retirements for both age and/or service. Recognizing future workforce needs to replace losses of personnel with technical knowledge and skills, a potential increase in power construction and services, and the minimal pool of applicants with skilled trade experience, GPA embarked on a training and developmental plan with the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Apprenticeship Training Program. The Apprenticeship Training Program is an industry-driven career training involving both academic related instruction and on-the-job training (OJT). Apprentices are required to successfully complete both facets of the program upon meeting certification requirements within their respective occupational trade. The academic related instruction are formalized and offered at the Guam Community College. Apprentices must complete related theoretical training with a minimum of 144 hours per year. On-the-job training requirements are fulfilled by performing the work processes of the respective occupational trade and reviewed by a journeyman worker on a one-to-one training basis. Each apprentice must complete 2,000 hours of OJT per year. Apprentices must complete 6,000 or 8,000 of OJT hours depending on the occupational trade filled to complete the program. Upon completion of the program, both academically and OJT, apprentices will have acquired the knowledge and skills to perform work at the journeyman level. GPA will then gain knowledgeable and skilled employees thus reinforcing a skilled workforce. Each apprentice upon completion of the program will have met the criteria set forth by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship Training. The 2of 5
USDOL, BAT will certify these apprentices as journey level workers within their respective occupational trades. The apprenticeship certification is recognized nationally and will cause the graduated apprentices to hold marketable skills nation wide. A collaborative recruitment effort between GPA and the Agency for Human Resources Development (AHRD) was also successful in hiring eligible applicants meeting the criteria of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). The WIA is a federally sponsored program that meets the criteria, among others, such as a dislocated or displaced worker, or when a person s income falls below the economic considerations. The co-sponsorship of the Apprenticeship Training Program, between GPA and AHRD, under the WIA, provides reimbursement of 50% of direct wages and benefits, and 100% of the academic costs incurred to employ and train apprentices. This collaborative effort under the WIA is a resultant of two things. One, it increases the pool of applicants expressing interest in a formal training program, and two, it assists individuals to improve their quality of life. Guam Power Authority currently employs 47 apprentices that fill the following occupational apprenticeship trades: 1) Line Repairer, 2) Electric Meter Repairer, 3) Electrician, Substation, 4) Relay Technician 5) Instrument Technician and 6) Power Plant Operator. In October 2005, GPA will hire an additional 32 apprentices. These apprentices will fill the trade positions listed above, including a new Machinist position. The Authority is also proposing new apprenticeship trade positions such as welder, plant electrician, maintenance mechanic, and diesel mechanic. 3of 5
The Guam Power Authority Apprenticeship Training Program is committed to training apprentices and producing skilled journey workers within the respective occupational trades. It is committed to augmenting its manning requirements to maintain and operate the island wide power system and its facilities. In addition to the Apprenticeship Training Program, the Authority also offers an Engineering Internship Program that runs for 12 weeks during summers. This program is designed to provide college students majoring in engineering disciplines hands-on experience, and to encourage them to seek employment with GPA upon their graduating from college. The interns are assigned to work areas within the Generation, Transmission and Distribution, Engineering, Planning and Regulatory divisions involving engineering functions. They are provided the opportunity to apply what they have learned academically on the job and to perform hands-on work gaining knowledge and skills that may not be readily available through academia. The Authority is also committed to improving the skills sets of its employees by re-introducing its in-service training program and establishing a Power Engineering Scholarship. The in-service training program will provide educational assistance to employees pursuing higher education degrees in the fields of discipline related to activities engaged by GPA. Technical training continues to be provided to ensure that employees are kept abreast of trade theory and that best practices are conducted in the performance of their occupational trades. The Power Engineering Scholarship will provide an opportunity to earn a degree in Power Engineering, and to provide GPA with professional Power Engineers. 4of 5
To assist in retaining employees and attracting new ones, the Authority introduced legislation to the 28 th Guam Legislature to authorize the Consolidated Commission on Utilities (CCU) to establish, administer and revise pay policies and provide pay incentives. Under this proposal, the CCU will have the ability, among other things, to reward employees commensurate with performance and potential employees commensurate with experience, education and training. Current procedures established by law for these processes are restrictive and require external review and approval. This is resultant of a process that is lengthy and not conducive in the maintenance and retention of employees. The Authority will also implement a classification study to review the internal equity and external competitiveness of its positions. The study will assist in determining the appropriate market value and compensation levels for the positions employed at GPA. This is another method of GPA striving to maintain, retain and attract skilled, technical, administrative and professional individuals. The Guam Power Authority will continue to explore other alternatives to provide and implement best practices; to provide for future needs in the maintenance and improvement of the island wide power system, facilities and equipment; and to accommodate its most valuable asset, the employees. 5of 5