Atmos Energy is pleased to announce a partnership with Hinds Community College and Southcentral Mississippi Works to offer internship opportunities for students enrolled in a Career and Technical Education (CTE) degree program. Thanks in part to funding from the Workforce Innovations and Opportunities Act (WIOA), students who intern with Atmos Energy will obtain practical experience and exposure to both the company and the natural gas industry, coupling what they learn in the classroom with paid, hands-on work experience. 

Helping to prepare our future workforce, Atmos Energy is a proud supporter of our community college system and stands behind the importance of CTE and workforce training programs available to Mississippi students. Students in these programs learn skills that are valued in today’s economy and that enhance their employability.

Atmos Energy and Hinds Community College held a “signing day” event on May 8 to introduce Hunter Holtsinger as the Atmos Energy intern in Jackson this summer. Hunter is a sophomore studying Mechanical Engineering Technology, and the event was attended by members of his family as well as representatives from both Atmos Energy and Hinds Community College.

"At Hinds, we are focused on providing quality programs for our communities and students,” said Dean of Construction and Manufacturing Jason Webb.  “We are very happy to have this partnership with Atmos Energy and for the opportunities they can provide to our students.”

There is a business case for partnerships between education and industry; current data shows that 69 percent of jobs in Mississippi fall within the definition of “middle-skill,” meaning skills that require more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year college degree. However, only 37 percent of the state’s workforce has the requirements to fill a “middle-skill” job. The way to close this skill gap for thousands of Mississippi workers is through partnerships that combine classroom training and industry credentials, along with practical work experience and the development of necessary interpersonal skills.  As a result, employers will benefit by having a workforce that possesses the skills and core competencies for them to remain competitive in a global economy.

“This internship is part of our strategy to grow relationships with our community college partners across the state of Mississippi,” said Glenn Partrick, Atmos Energy vice president of human resources – Mississippi division. “The goal is to establish internships with community colleges across our service territory that will grow our bench of talent for our field operations positions. We believe this is not only a great way to recruit new employees for our company, but the partnership also enriches the communities we serve.”