DALLAS – Developing the company’s next generation of skilled energy employees, Luminant is pleased to announce that 24 Tyler Junior College students from the second graduating Power Track class have received job placements. The graduates will begin their new energy careers at a Luminant power plant this June.
“I’m the first one in my family to graduate with a college degree and now I have a full-time job where I can gain firsthand knowledge about power plant operation from senior employees,” said Joel Mendoza, Power Track graduate and Stryker Creek Power Plant employee. “I can see myself building a lifelong career at Luminant. If you’re working with great mentors in a good environment, you usually tend to stay a long time.”
Twenty-four Tyler Junior College graduates will begin new careers at power plants across Luminant.
Fourteen graduates, the highest number in a class to date, also earned academic honors, receiving cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude degrees. Along with academic excellence, the students were analyzed on their ability to collaborate and work together safely as a team, according to Mike Williams, Luminant chief fossil officer.
“These students were evaluated every step along the way, and they are to be congratulated and commended for their performance and perseverance. We’re excited to see the energy and dedication to powering Texas that these individuals are going to bring to our sites,” Williams said.
In 2011, in partnership with Tyler Junior College, Luminant created Power Track, which provides students with full scholarships covering books and tuition toward a two-year associate degree, a paid internship and the opportunity to foster a relationship that could grow into a full-time position with Luminant upon graduation. The program offers concentrated training in power plant operations, electrical technology, mechanical technology, and instrumentation and control to accelerate the learning process for new workers.
Combined, students completed nearly 1,500 credit hours in electrical, mechanical and power plant operations courses and received hands-on training at Luminant Academy, the company’s state-of-the-art training facility at TJC’s West Campus. Additionally, 10 Power Track students will graduate from Texas State Technical College in Waco this December. Learn more about the program at www.LuminantPowerTrack.com.
The following graduates will be starting careers this summer across Luminant’s facilities:
Big Brown Power Plant
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Chris McDaniel, Wortham ISD
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Joe McDaniel, Wortham ISD
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Matthew Peine, Fairfield ISD
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Brandon Peyrefitte, Cross Roads ISD
Martin Lake Power Plant
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Victor Allen, Van ISD
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Aaron Blue, Van ISD
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David Harris, Whitehouse ISD
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Dylan Mercer, Carthage ISD
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Colton Sims, Van ISD
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Taylor Tidwell, Henderson ISD
Monticello Power Plant
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Beny Calixto, Mount Pleasant ISD
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Austin Fulmer, Mount Pleasant ISD
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Trevor Jessee, Rivercrest ISD
Oak Grove Power Plant
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Boston Campbell, Franklin ISD
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Tulio Cordon, Fairfield ISD
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Chad Seely, Bremond ISD
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Blake Walker, Fairfield ISD
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Mike Blakley, West Feliciana Parish
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Canton Calhoun, Buffalo ISD
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Chris Juhl, Milano ISD
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Sedrick Smith, Arp ISD
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Braeden Buie, Chapel Hill ISD
Stryker Creek Power Plant
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Joel Mendoza, Jacksonville ISD
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Antonio Montes, Jacksonville ISD
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About Luminant
Luminant, a subsidiary of Energy Future Holdings Corp., is a competitive power generation business, including mining, wholesale marketing and trading, and development operations. Luminant has more than 15,400 megawatts of generation in Texas, including 2,300 MW fueled by nuclear power and 8,000 MW fueled by coal. The company is also one of the largest purchasers of wind-generated electricity in the United States. EFH is a Dallas-based energy holding company that has a portfolio of competitive and regulated energy subsidiaries, primarily in Texas.Visit www.luminant.com or www.energyfutureholdings.com for additional information.