UI, CNG, SCG Present to 40 High School Students on Career Opportunities in Energy Industry
President & CEO and company leaders in sustainability discuss energy career pathways with approximately 40 students participating in EnergizeCT℠ Green STEP Summer Certification Training Program
UI President and CEO Frank Reynolds addresses the Green STEP participants, joined on the panel by 3 leaders at UI/CNG/SCG/Avangrid.
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — July 14, 2025 — Building on the companies’ commitment to workforce development for students across Connecticut, United Illuminating (UI), Connecticut Natural Gas (CNG), and Southern Connecticut Gas (SCG), subsidiaries of Avangrid, Inc., announced that three company leaders, including President & CEO Frank Reynolds, joined the EnergizeCT℠ Green STEP Summer Certification Training Program at CT State Community College – Gateway last week for a panel discussion on career pathways in the energy industry. Approximately 40 high school students, who were all participating in the three-week paid-to-train energy efficiency and green building certification program through EnergizeCT℠, were in attendance. During the course of the panel discussion, the company leaders described the challenges and opportunities of the energy industry, its evolution over their careers, and their advice for students beginning to think about their entrance into the workforce.
“Cultivating workforce development and training opportunities for high school students in our local service area is a priority for us at UI, CNG, and SCG, and in speaking with the Green STEP students last week, I was reminded why that is,” said Reynolds. “It was a privilege to be able to share with them some of my own experiences that led me to where I am, and I commend these students for taking charge of their futures by embracing a potential fruitful career path in energy efficiency before they even graduate from high school. I hope they see in my own experiences a very bright future for each of them.”
On the panel discussion, Reynolds was joined by Marissa Westbrook, the Senior Manager of Conservation and Load Management at UI, CNG, and SCG, and Jim Mader, the Director of Clean Energy Policy at Avangrid. During their hour-long presentation, the three company leaders provided personal insights and reflections on how their career paths had evolved over time and what had drawn them to the energy and utility industry when they were first starting out in their careers. They also engaged the students on the importance of energy efficiency and its value for approximately 750,000 UI, CNG, and SCG customers across the state.
“While I have been in the clean energy space for 17 years, I continue to believe that building up the next generation of our industry, especially in the energy efficiency space, is one of the best things we can do to build a brighter future for our state and the communities we serve,” said Westbrook. “I am very proud of my team’s hard work in bringing the third year of this program to such successful fruition, and I wish every student here the best as they continue to pursue their careers at this exciting time in energy efficiency.”
The Green STEP Program is a three-week paid-to-train program offered by EnergizeCT℠ sponsors UI, CNG and SCG as well as Eversource, offering a total of more than 50 students industry certifications in energy efficiency and green building careers. Students participated in one of three tracks: Weatherization & Existing Building Upgrades; Decarbonization & Existing Building Upgrades; or Green Building & New Construction. The three-week program culminated with a career expo and a graduation ceremony in which they met and networked with companies that perform energy efficiency work in Connecticut, many of which also contract with the EnergizeCT℠ sponsors to provide upgrades to residential and commercial/industrial utility customers across the state. The graduation ceremony took place on Thursday, July 10, the same day on which UI, CNG, and SCG leaders spoke to approximately 40 of the graduating students.
“Having been at UI for 34 years now, I have seen countless innovations and improvements in the energy system of today, and I am fully confident that those innovations will only continue for the next generation who are lucky to be entering the workforce in the coming years,” said Mader. “Seeing so many of the students have such a clear picture of what they want in their careers and how they want to contribute to a more affordable, sustainable energy future was very inspiring to me. The future of UI, CNG, and SCG are in good hands.”
“Participating in the Green STEP program was an unforgettable experience,” said Clara Ortenzi, a rising senior at Amity High School and a recent graduate of the Green STEP program. “Before entering the classroom, I had no idea the depth and complexity of the issues, nor did I know we would have teachers that provided more than just vocabulary, but also educated us about the various directions life will take us if we stay in this industry. The program helped me make new friends and network with outstanding experts, as well as assist me determine which major I wanted to pursue in college. I'm excited to participate in the program again.”
The graduation ceremony on the evening of Thursday, July 10 featured speakers from Eversource, UI/CNG/SCG, the Energy Efficiency Board, and a Green STEP alum, and Deputy Commissioner Joe DiNicola of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) also attended. For more information on the Green STEP program, please visit https://energizect.com/resources-for/education/green-step.