Negocios Now

www.negociosnow.com Diciembre 2021 9 By David Steinkraus C omEd supplies not only electric power for north- ern Illinois, but also opportunities. Developing the area's work- force is a prime goal of the com- pany's philanthropic spending, said Evelyn Rodriguez, senior manager for corporate relations for ComEd. ComEd corporate giving has been focused on four topics: ensuring clean air and water, environmental stewardship, and fighting climate change; build- ing equal access to arts and culture; supporting chambers of commerce and economic development organizations; and building the future workforce. EDUCATION This last focus has been a large part of her work in the two years since she joined the company, Rodriguez said. "Since I joined the company, we've been working very diligently on supporting ComEd's educational programs to build a workforce that's representative of the communities we serve." For example, she said, the util- ity launched its ComEd schol- ars program in partnership with the University of Illinois Chicago and Illinois Institute of Technol- ogy, and with DePaul University and DePaul College Prep. "This program is dedicated to sparking that interest and encouraging students to pursue careers in the energy industry, specifically in the roles we have at ComEd in engineering and IT," she said. Students studying these spe- cialties can receive help to bridge the funding gap between tuition costs and what they have in other grants, loans, and scholarships. The third cohort of ComEd schol- ars started their studies this year, she said. And this is homegrown talent, she added. ANOTHER PATH In combination with this, ComEd is working to build job opportu- nities for these students, ideally at ComEd or parent company Exelon, but certainly within the energy industry, she said. Aside from financial support, she said, ComEd also provides opportuni- ties for students to connect with mentors in the company and with internships. "The need is there in terms of what we're seeing in terms of retirements," Rodriguez said. "With these programs, our goal is to invest in the workforce of the future by building a pipeline that is representative of the com- munities we serve." The other part of the workforce where ComEd is making a con- certed effort is in promoting skilled trades, she said. The company is excited about a program to launch next year that will encourage skilled work for students who are not on track to attend a university. Skilled trades also provide a path that can be transformative for students and their families, she added. An example of where these people will be needed can be found all across the electric grid. Utilities used to send power only one way. But with the advent of smart meters, solar panels and small installations that sell pow- er back to utilities, it is not only power but information flow- ing over power lines. All of this equipment has to be installed, serviced, and repaired. Rodriguez knows Chicago well. She grew up in the Little Village area, earned a bachelor's degree from Marquette University in Milwaukee and a master's degree from Northwestern University. Before joining ComEd, she was senior advisor for neigh- borhood economic develop- ment and community engage- ment under former Mayor Rahm Emanuel. VOLUNTEERS ARE KEY ComEd employee volunteerism is the bedrock of what the com- pany is trying to do, Rodriguez said. Although not a focus of company effort in the past, employee volunteers are now. This can take the form of encour- aging people to take time from their workdays to contribute. Also, some of those volunteer hours can be converted to mini grants for an organization of the employee's choice, she said. The numbers tell the tale. In 2020, ComEd provided more than $8 million to organizations and communities within its ser- vice area. Except for a thumb of land pushing down to Kankakee, ComEd's service territory stretches along Interstate 80 from the Iowa border to the Indian border and north to the Wisconsin border. Included in the $8 million was $2 million to support organiza- tions providing essential services during the pandemic. And during 2020, ComEd employees volun- teered more than 11,000 hours and pledged about $1.2 million to organizations. "2020 was an extraordinary year for everyone including our customers and our communi- ties," Rodriguez said. ComEd joined two of the COV- ID response funds assembled by the United Way. Support went to hyperlocal organizations, emergen- cy assistance, and food pantries, she said. Support for hyperlocal agencies is continuing, she added. Where does Rodriguez see ComEd's programs going? She talked of students now studying for degrees that could translate into energy industry jobs. "In five years, we'd like to see the students we support through our scholarship programs join our ComEd family and engage in vol- unteer opportunities so that they can be of service in their own com- munities," ComEd powering a future workforce Evelyn Rodriguez (left) along with two young students during the inaugural ComEd Scholars celebration in 2019.

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