Baldwin County, AL. — Twenty-nine rising Baldwin County high school seniors will join Daphne Utilities, Gulf Shores Utilities, North Baldwin Utilities, Riviera Utilities, and Fairhope Utilities, this summer as a part of the Baldwin County Utilities Internship.
Working closely with our partners at the Southwest Alabama Workforce Development Commission (SAWDC) and Baldwin County Board of Education (BCBE), the County’s local utilities conducted 199 interviews with 61 students, offering internships in water, wastewater, natural gas, warehouse, engineering, GIS, electric line crew, and appliance service.
Baldwin County students worked closely with school counselors on their applications and prepped for interviews in April. This year, one intern will be placed with Gulf Shores, five with Daphne, two with Fairhope, four with North Baldwin, and 17 with Riviera Utilities.
“Fairhope is excited to participate in the summer intern program this year,” said Sherry Sullivan, Mayor of the City of Fairhope. “I think this is a great way to not only recruit potential employees but educate young people about the opportunities available when working for public utilities or a municipality.”
Riviera Utilities participated in the pilot summer internship program in 2021 and has since received state-wide recognition at the Governor’s Work-Based Learning Seal of Excellence awards and has grown exponentially, adding four local utilities and doubling the number of interns hired.
Several participating utilities have hired former interns after graduation or allowed them to continue work during their senior year through the Alabama State Department’s Work-Based Learning Program.
“This is more than a workforce development tool for students. Riviera has actually hired three interns for full-time employment across three departments,” said Tom Debell, General Manager and CEO of Riviera Utilities.
Lisa Yokley, Human Resources/Marketing Manager at North Baldwin Utilities emphasized that even if the students do not pursue utilities after graduation, they will have the knowledge to let other students, friends, and family members know about a great career path.
Bobby Purvis, Operations Manager for Daphne Utilities, said they are excited to introduce public utilities to local students. Baldwin County’s 2023 Utility Interns will meet their utility supervisors and kick off their summer on May 11, 2023, at Signing Day. “We want to show them servicing a community is more than a job, it’s a career,” Purvis said.
Riviera Utilities is a public utility company serving the Eastern Shore, central, and south Baldwin County communities. For media requests or for more information about Riviera, please email communications@rivierautilities.com.
