POWERGRAMS

Sometimes it's hard to see the future from where you stand. And sometimes it's as plain as the building in front of your face. "I was actually walking home, and I looked at the Alabama Power building and something just told me I was going to work there one day," said Cornelius "Neil" Turner, 24, a Customer Service representative in Mobile Division. "Two years later, I was there with SWEET-P. It's a blessing from God, to be honest." Turner was describing the Summer Work Employment Experience Training Program, or SWEET-P. Run by the Mobile Housing Board, it helps prepare young people for the rigors of the workplace. Alabama Power has been a partner with SWEET-P for nearly two decades. The company has hired several participants for permanent jobs. "I have nothing but great things to say about Alabama Power Company. They're wonderful," said Sonya Curtis, SWEET-P coordinator. "They've been there from the very beginning as one of our investment partners. They really get what our mission is: providing meaningful work experience and skills people can use in the future." SWEET-P targets students aged 16-23 from low- to moderate- income families living in public housing. "They don't get the opportunities that other students get," said Curtis. The program requires them to hold a C average or better in high school or be actively pursuing their GED diploma. Students in college or trade schools may also qualify. Their reward: a summer internship at a local business or corporation. What's more, they receive employability training in computer applications, office equipment and consumer math, as well as lessons in interviewing techniques, customer service and telephone etiquette – the "soft skills" that can be hard to master. "Learning how to communicate effectively, to introduce yourself, to shake a person's hand and make eye contact," said SWEET-P graduate Christine Taylor, who has been with Alabama Power since 2004. "All those things that you would need in the workforce, this organization was preparing you to do, which was not our everyday reality." Taylor, a Marketing representative at Corporate Headquarters, grew up in a single-parent household in Mobile. She credits her mother with giving her the initial discipline and drive to succeed. "My mother said the decision you make today affects your tomorrow," she said. At age 16, Taylor began summer internships with Alabama Power through the program. After receiving her degree in business management from Alabama A&M, she was offered a full-time position. "Words couldn't describe the impact the SWEET-P program in partnership with Alabama Power has made on my life," said Taylor. "Even though I was destined and in line to be the third generation in public housing, I made up my mind that that's not what I wanted to do." SWEET-P participants are given financial literacy education and information about college scholarships. They are invited to a jobs fair where employers rate their top candidates and students choose their preferences. A selection committee works to complete the match. "This helps their families and helps the local economy," said Saraland Office Manager Loretta Thomas. "It works out for everybody all around." Workforce development is a high priority for Alabama Power. Chairman, President and CEO Mark Crosswhite is chairman of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. Vice President of External Affairs Zeke Smith is chairman of Gov. Robert Bentley's Alabama Workforce Council. "If the state of Alabama doesn't thrive, doesn't grow, neither will we," said Crosswhite. Taylor and Turner have set their sights high. In 2007, Taylor completed the company's highly selective professional development program. And Turner, who holds a degree in business administration with a concentration in management from the University of Mobile, recently interviewed for the Customer Service manager training program. "He has turned out to be everything we thought he would be," said Sam Schjott, Mobile Division Business Office supervisor. "He's somebody who got it in his mind to work for Alabama Power, and he applied and interviewed until he was successful. That said a lot to us." For Turner, a talented singer who performed the national anthem for the Safety Symposium at the Mobile Fairgrounds, Alabama Power has become more than a company. "Just like a family, everyone treats everyone well," he said. "That family quality is what I was looking for in an employer, and they definitely have that quality." Reflecting on her own journey, Taylor said her future colleagues saw her potential even as a young student. "I had many, many mentors at Alabama Power," she recalled. "To them it was more than just, 'you're a summer worker.'" By John Herr SWEET-P 'blessing from God' EDUCATION 4 Photo by Wynter Byrd Taylor took part in program first as a 16-year-old in Mobile. STUDENTS' SUMMER EMPLOYMENT SOMETIMES LEADS LONG TERM

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