MGE and about 90 other local companies participated in the second annual FutureQuest, a middle school career exploration event held in December at the Alliant Energy Exhibition Hall. The event is organized through the Dane County School Consortium with more than 5,000 students participating from 16 Dane County school districts. The idea is to give students an opportunity to explore a broad range of careers in industry areas like hospitality, STEAM (science, technology, engineering and math), construction, health care, skilled trades, utilities, information technology and finance.

MGE teamed up with the Wisconsin Energy Workforce Consortium partners, Alliant Energy, American Transmission Company and Michels Construction Company, to promote a variety of electric and natural gas utility careers. MGE used its virtual reality goggles to engage students in conversations around utility-related opportunities. The goggles feature a 360-degree tour of MGE’s rooftop solar array at its downtown Madison headquarters. Virtual reality gives students a chance to see things they would ordinarily not experience due to security, safety and other barriers. MGE human resources and gas meter department staff were on hand to discuss the broad range of utility careers and what students should focus on academically to prepare for work in the utility industry. Utility careers range from IT, accounting/finance, engineering, marketing, environmental protection, legal, and skilled trades including electric line technicians, underground gas construction, and power plant operator and maintenance to name a few. Most, if not all, of the careers require post-high school education at a technical college or four-year college.

For more information about utility careers, visit the Wisconsin Energy Workforce Consortium at consortia.getintoenergy.com/wisconsin/ Back to Cover