Duke Energy invests more than $150,000 in South Carolina programs that will build diverse, talented workforce

-- Initiatives include efforts to grow pipeline of women, veteran and minority engineers

-- One unique program will create utility lineworker certification for high school students

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Jul 23, 2019, 10:00 ET

GREENVILLE, S.C., July 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Duke Energy Foundation has awarded more than $150,000 in grants to four South Carolina organizations to fund strategic initiatives that will help enhance and diversify the energy industry's workforce of tomorrow.

"We are making strategic investments in South Carolina to help build a talented workforce that drives economic prosperity for all," said Kodwo Ghartey-Tagoe, South Carolina state president for Duke Energy. "We have a long history of targeting investments to have the greatest impact for our communities. These grants continue that tradition and will help strengthen the workforce pipeline needed to fuel the Palmetto State's economic engine now and in the years to come."

The grants were awarded to the following organizations:

Clover School District: Creates a first-of-its-kind program in the state – a partnership with York Technical College, Clover School District and York District 1 to implement a utility lineworker certification program for high school students.

S.C. Independent Colleges and Universities: Provides nine $5,000 scholarships to junior or senior engineering students at qualifying independent colleges and universities in Duke Energy's service areas.

Tri-County Technical College: Supports a marketing program aimed at increasing the number of women, minorities and veterans pursuing engineering and mechatronics degrees.

Florence-Darlington Technical College: Supports an effort to recruit and retain women and minorities in the field of engineering technology through a mentorship program that pairs students with leaders in the engineering field.

The Florence-Darlington Technical College program will provide students with networking opportunities with current leaders, workshops on how to find the right mentors and what to expect in the first five years in the engineering workforce.

"FDTC is happy to have Duke Energy's support of our pilot Women and Minorities in Engineering Technology Leadership Program," said FDTC Interim President Edward Bethea. "We're not only educating the future workforce, but also the leaders for that workforce. This program will make the transition into leadership roles within the engineering field much smoother for these bright, accomplished students."

The partnership between Clover School District, York School District One and York Technical College will make for a unique effort establishing the first high school lineworker certification program in South Carolina.

"The support of the Duke Energy Foundation and our collaborative partners will help ensure that students in this program exit high school ready for careers as utility line workers, meeting the labor market needs in our community and helping ensure success for our students," said Carrie Bolin, executive director of career and technology education for the Clover School District. "This program is a win for students and our community."

The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The foundation contributes more than $30 million annually in charitable gifts, and is funded by Duke Energy shareholder dollars. In 2018, the company donated more than $2 million to nonprofit organizations in South Carolina.

More information about the foundation can be found at duke-energy.com/foundation.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S. It employs 30,000 people and has an electric generating capacity of 51,000 megawatts through its regulated utilities, and 3,000 megawatts through its nonregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.

Duke Energy is transforming its customers' experience, modernizing the energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves. The Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit's regulated utilities serve approximately 7.7 million retail electric customers in six states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to more than 1.6 million customers in five states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The Duke Energy Renewables unit operates wind and solar generation facilities across the U.S., as well as energy storage and microgrid projects.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2019 "World's Most Admired Companies" list, and Forbes' 2019 "America's Best Employers" list. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

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SOURCE Duke Energy