National Grid : Engineers Week Program Prepares the Next Generation of Innovators

Pictured: Paul Martini of National Grid answers questions during a tour of a Syracuse-area substation.

National Engineers Week is an occasion to celebrate the field of engineering while working to build a diverse future workforce. For students in the Syracuse City School District, it provided an opportunity to learn more about the field of engineering, the pathways to these careers, and get a close-up look at how National Grid's engineers keep electricity flowing to homes and businesses across the region.

Students from grades 6 through 12 took part in Engineers Week activities, a partnership of National Grid, Syracuse University's Science and Technology Entry Program and the school district's National Society of Black Engineers Junior Pre-Collegiate Chapter. More than 30 students visited the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Syracuse University, visited a National Grid substation and interacted with engineers about potential careers in the field.

National Grid's Paul Martini explains how a piece of equipment works.

"Minority racial and ethnic groups are underrepresented in STEM career fields," said Alberto Bianchetti, regional director of customer and community management for National Grid. "We support programs like Engineers Week as a way to diversify the engineering workforce and bring new and different voices to the field."

According data from the Pew Research Center, only about one in three American workers in STEM fields is non-white. Blacks and African Americans comprise 12% of the American workforce but hold less than 9% of STEM jobs.

"When you expose children to topics in science, technology, engineering, and math early, they are more likely to pursue careers those fields. One of the ways that we live our values of doing the right thing, finding a better way, and making it happen is to do everything in our power to ensure a seat at the table for new ideas and perspectives," Bianchetti said.

Developing the next generation of professionals to engineer the world's clean energy future is a priority for National Grid and a focus for its community initiative, Project C. Introduced in 2021, Project C was developed as the company's commitment to create an equitable future for its customers.

Celebrated annually since 1951, National Engineers Week seeks to ensure a diverse and well-educated future of the engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers. The 2022 theme is Reimagining the Possible, celebrating how engineers work together to develop new technologies, products and opportunities that change how people live.