The energy industry has a wide array of fulfilling, well-paying jobs for military veterans with compatible skills. Tucson Electric Power actively recruits veterans for positions throughout the company.
“We’re committed to reaching out to veterans during our employment-recruitment efforts,” said Marji Morris, TEP’s Talent Acquisition & Workforce Development Program Manager. “Many veterans have skills that translate well to the energy industry. At TEP, we recognize and appreciate their talents – and their service to our country.”
TEP is a Troops to Energy Jobs employer that works with the Center for Energy Workforce Development to match military skills with utility positions. A section of TEP’s Career Center is geared toward veterans, mapping out how particular military experience can translate to jobs at the electric company – not just in craft and trade professions, but also in finance, accounting, engineering, information technology, community relations, project management and many other fields.
Veterans looking to expand their energy-industry education can find school and program suggestions on the Career Center site as well.
At TEP, 11 percent of employees are military veterans. Many of them report smooth transitions from the military to the private sector.
When Ed Jones retired from the U.S. Air Force with 22 years of service, he began to search for a job that would put his skills to work.
Jones entered the Air Force as an Intelligence Analyst and spent the majority of his career in that field, doing human resources-related work. He retired as a Senior Master Sergeant, with a final assignment at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base as Superintendent for the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Division of the 612th Air and Space Operations Center.
“After I retired, I wanted to work for a local organization where I could utilize the skills that I learned in the military,” said Jones, who came across TEP and submitted his application to Human Resources, which hired him to be a Senior Human Resources Generalist, where he now has a role in recruitment, hiring new employees, training, performance management, and more.
“It was a pretty big change for me, coming from the military, but TEP made the hiring process easy. Everyone here has opened their arms and has welcomed me,” Jones said.
TEP also participates in career fairs specific to veteran outreach and has developed an affinity group for employees who are veterans as an additional support network.
“Veterans make great employees – and we want to make sure they know that,” Morris said. “We feel it’s our responsibility to go the extra mile for our veterans. They have so many great skills, and they’ve served our country well.”
