Career opportunities in the Electric Utility Industry

Submitted by Nigel Hosein – Executive Director - CARILEC

Are you interested in a career in the following: Electrical engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Finance and Accounting, Information Technology, electrician, mechanic, customer service, telecommunications, corporate communications and public relations? You name it, where can you find it all? In the electric utility industry.

Ever since Thomas Edison’s pioneering work with electricity in the late 19^th century and his invention of the incandescent light bulb the electric utility industry has progressed and developed very rapidly throughout the world over the years. Electricity has made possible technologies that have benefited society and powered economies through ever-increasing levels of convenience, comfort and productivity. Right here in the Caribbean, the electric utility have been doing a very good job with all of the various islands residents (except those in very remote areas) enjoying a reliable, quality supply of electricity. Consumers have come to except a supply 24/7.

Getting back to my opening question, there have been many technological advancements in the industry that will make it very attractive for individuals who are looking to enjoy a challenging but rewarding career until retirement. With the rapid developments in Information Technology and telecommunications all electric utilities have or are in the process of modernizing their generation plants and Transmission and Distribution systems with computerized controls know as SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems. Utilities have and are in the process of installing fibre-optic cables around their respective islands for the SCADA systems. At the same time this fibre-optic ring has the capacity and potential for the electric utilities to provide infrastructure for telecommunications services to the general public for those so inclined in the near future. There is also rapid research and development in the area of Power Line Communication, i.e. the ability to provide voice and data services over existing power lines directly to consumers. There are already successful pilot systems in the US and other parts of the world which will soon make this technology financially viable for Caribbean utilities.

The current challenges being faced with high oil prices means that utilities have to pay more attention to the long term sustainable and least cost-supply supply of electricity for its customers. Therefore, this results in the need to diversify our dependence on fossil fuels for electricity generation coupled with the need for utilities to become more efficient with existing plant. Many challenges and opportunities are therefore presented for those in the technical fields to develop expertise in renewable energy technologies.

In the traditional technical areas there will always be the need for mechanical and electrical expertise. Mechanical expertise to monitor and maintain the various generating plant, machinery and vehicles used by the industry. And of course electrical, for all the electrical systems in the plant, power lines and sub-stations that make-up the transmission and distribution systems.

Regulatory reform is currently taking place in the industry throughout the Caribbean as is happening throughout the world. These reforms will provide challenges and with them opportunities for individuals to advance their careers as the utilities adjust their modus operandi in the changing business environment. Management, Financial, Human Resource, Administrative and Customer Service expertise will continue to be required. Information Technology expertise is also of course very important in today’s business environment to help inform management decisions.

And in closing with the advent of CSME, for the adventurous, that is, those willing to move around and work in another island there will always be opportunity to work at a utility in another island as currently exists for someone with the qualifications and expertise. Therefore, I trust that I have been able to entice a few of the readers who are deciding on a career path or looking for a change in industry to consider the electric utility industry. Feel free to contact the CARILEC office (Caribbean Association of Electric Utilities) at admin@carilec.org or visit our website at www.carilec.com for further information.