Electric Co-ops Focus on Hiring Vets

veteran and belongings with American flag

Electric co-ops across the country are retooling their national veteran hiring initiative to better recruit and retain veterans with the help of their national trade association, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

The new program, Vets Power Us, has replaced the previous Serve Our Co-ops; Serve Our Country coalition of 160 co-ops in 34 states, including Colorado, established in 2016. NRECA will use Vets Power Us to provide a commitment-based approach to supporting the program’s mission of recruiting, hiring and honoring veterans, active military and their spouses.

NRECA began the vet-focused initiative four years ago to help co-ops address the challenges of attracting and retaining a new workforce as the industry faces waves of retirements and increasingly complex technology. The initiative also raised awareness of utility careers among veterans, 40% of whom come from rural communities.

“There’s a lot of alignment between the seven cooperative principles and military values, which fosters a transition between veterans and co-ops,” said Desiree Dunham, NRECA’s manager of talent programs and the initiative’s point person. “Veterans bring valuable skill sets and are mission-focused as a result of their military service.”

Watch for more information from your local electric cooperative.