Roundtable Press Release
Leaders From Business, Labor and National Minority Organizations Meet in Washington to Discuss Employment Opportunities in the Nuclear Energy Sector
Dialogue centered on workforce diversity, business opportunities and university training programs
WASHINGTON, D.C., November 18, 2010 – The Clean and Safe Energy Coalition (CASEnergy) held a Business, Labor and Minority Roundtable yesterday in Washington, D.C., bringing together leadership and decision makers to participate in an open dialogue focused on developing mutually beneficial partnerships to expand employment, educational and business opportunities within the nuclear energy sector. The discussion centered on workforce development, educational partnerships and supplier opportunities for minority communities and businesses.
CASEnergy co-chair Christine Todd Whitman, former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator and former New Jersey governor, moderated the Roundtable, held in Washington, DC on Wednesday, November 17.
“Today’s discussion is timely. It is important to talk about the numerous employment opportunities available in the energy sector, especially in nuclear energy. Expansion within the nuclear sector is creating thousands of U.S. jobs that cannot be shipped overseas. These jobs are permanent and well-paying, with training programs that are preparing the next generation workforce in many disciplines. Already 15,000 new jobs have been created in anticipation of new nuclear projects. Clearly, there is an increasing need for long-term partnerships between business, labor and minority groups to best leverage these job opportunities, said CASEnergy co-chair, Christine Todd Whitman.
More than 50 leaders from labor, industry, business and academia joined the discussion, exploring potential areas for partnership – including Elizabeth Shuler, Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO, Pam Collins, Supply Chain Director at Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Brew Barron, President and CEO of Constellation Energy Nuclear Group, Roger Rivera, President, National Hispanic Environmental Council (NHEC), German Trejo, Former Chair of Immigrant Affairs at the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and Principal, G&T Consulting, Maudine Cooper, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Urban League, and Dr. Olugbemiga Olatidoye, Director, Center for Alternative, Renewable Energy, Technology and Training at Clark Atlanta University.
“The diverse group of leaders gathered today speaks volumes about our shared desire to identify new career options and business opportunities for our respective communities,” said Maudine Cooper, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Urban League. “Jobs in clean energy are a hot topic, and I think it is important not only to be part of the discussion, but to also make sure others are involved to help strengthen the network, ensuring our communities are in the best possible position to act on the opportunities presented.”
“Education is paramount. An open discussion such as this which brings together important players from industry, labor and minority groups to ensure that everyone is well-informed, to build awareness of training programs and forge new partnerships within the industry, will only help our community better leverage job opportunities in the energy sector,” said German Trejo, Former Chair of Immigrant Affairs at the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and Principal, G&T Consulting, “Unemployment among the Hispanic community, as well as the African-American community, is higher than among other groups nationwide, which only heightens the impetus to search for new opportunities and mutually beneficial relationships. I am confident the connections made in this room will have a positive impact on our respective communities.”
The roundtable addressed issues such as workforce diversity, economic partnerships, and training programs already in place, as well as jobs created by nuclear expansion.
“Expanding nuclear power will help lower energy costs as well as create thousands of high-paying jobs at all levels. Work is well underway building two new reactors at Plant Vogtle in Georgia, the nation’s first new nuclear power units in more than 30 years,” said Pam Collins, Supply Chain Director at Southern Nuclear Operating Company, whose company will operate the facility on behalf of Georgia Power and co-owners. “More than 1,500 people are already at work at the state’s largest construction project ever. At peak construction, about 3,500 new jobs will be created, along with up to 800 full-time positions once the reactors are producing electricity.”
New jobs in the nuclear energy sector are available to minority communities through the pursuit of the workforce training and feeder programs available at institutions such as Clark Atlanta University and South Carolina State University. Industry and labor strive for a diverse workforce, and there are programs in place to help achieve this goal.
“Growth in the nuclear energy sector is good for jobs and good for the economy,” said Elizabeth Shuler, Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO. “Each new plant creates as many as 2,400 jobs during construction as well as hundreds of jobs on the operations side - - so working people in every community should look towards the growth of the nuclear sector to take advantage of the jobs created.”
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About the CASEnergy Coalition
The CASEnergy Coalition is a national grassroots coalition of over 2,500 members that unites unlikely allies across the business, environmental, academic, consumer and labor community to support nuclear energy. We believe that nuclear energy can improve energy security, ensure clean air quality, and enhance the quality of life and economic well-being of all Americans. The Coalition is led by Christine Todd Whitman, former Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and former New Jersey Governor, and Dr. Patrick Moore, a co-founder and former leader of Greenpeace. For more information about the CASEnergy Coalition, please visit http://www.cleansafeenergy.org.
