UAF Interns Train to Become the Next Workforce

ACEP and Alaska electrical utilities are in the process of selecting eight students from the applicant pool to pilot a collaborative internship program during the summer of 2019.

Each of the considered students has direct ties to Alaska, with the majority also enrolled at the University of Alaska in Anchorage and Fairbanks. The students are predominantly studying mechanical and electrical engineering but are also computer science and petroleum engineering majors. The interns will be embedded in rural and urban settings across Alaska for 12 weeks, with work responsibilities determined by the priorities of their host utility. Priorities identified include energy and storage integration, enhancing cybersecurity, permafrost evaluation regarding infrastructure development, system performance documentation and community stakeholder consultation.

Ten utilities are participating across Alaska. Each student will be paired with a mentor from ACEP, who will help them prepare for their internship and consult with them (and their host utility) throughout the internship period. For more information on how to take part in the internship program, please contact Heike Merkel at hmerkel@alaska.edu.