General

Educating the next generation of OPPD employees

Behind the electricity that all OPPD customers enjoy is a high-powered, super-talented team.

Equipment operators. Engineers. Line technicians. Machinists. Meter technicians. Substation specialists. Distribution system operators. Safety staff. Finance gurus. Supervisors and managers. Communications experts. And many, many more.

Just about all of these careers require special skills, training and education. That’s why OPPD relies on colleges, universities and trade schools to help meet its workforce needs in the face of huge new demand for electricity.

Here’s a look at a few schools that help feed OPPD’s demand for new employees. The list is by no means exclusive – our network grows every day. Many workers arrive here from other states and countries. Some come from careers elsewhere. But the list a sampling of the many paths to OPPD.

Skills, training, education

Southeast Community College – Pick any generation plant in OPPD’s service territory and you’ll find at least a few graduates of Southeast Community College working inside. Southeast’s Energy Generation Operations program in Milford helps train future equipment operators, unit operators and many others. Some distribution system operators in OPPD’s Energy Control Center are also graduates.

Metropolitan Community College – Want to be a line technician? Metropolitan Community College offers a top-notch Utility Line Technician program where students learn about electrical theory, knot-tying, pole-climbing and other basics of the job.

Northeast Community College – Another highly respected local line technician program. Northeast Community College graduates have grown into long, successful in line work careers at OPPD.

The University of Nebraska – OPPD needs engineers – a lot of engineers – and the University of Nebraska produces some excellent ones. And that’s not the only career. UNL, UNO and UNK also graduate accountants, communications gurus, business specialists and many others who fill important roles at OPPD.

Creighton University – OPPD finance professionals and many others got their start at Creighton University.

Bellevue University – Bellevue University is yet another great pathway to OPPD, with graduates going into customer service, human capital (human relations), technology services and other fields. Bellevue University also has a special partnership with OPPD for current employees wanting to earn master’s degrees.

Iowa State University – Another powerhouse engineering school with graduates who have joined OPPD.

Kansas State University – Kansas State University sends many of its talented engineering students and graduates to internships, coops and full-time careers with OPPD.