The City of Ocala, Florida, has launched a summer education program for high school students and recent graduates with the goal of supporting professional development and community engagement.
In a conversation with APPA, Ocala Electric Utility staff discussed both the planning and goals behind its City Path Summer Training Academy.
While the program was formally launched in the summer of 2026, OEU community engagement coordinator Ramona Williamson explained that years of preparation went into its design. “It’s been about 6 years and took a lot of planning. We wanted to partner with our local schools through the Marion County School Board but realized that wasn’t going to happen due to existing red tape. So, we took the reins and created it ourselves.”
Williamson outlined that the program was designed to reach parts of the Ocala community that might not have access to promising employment, giving them a curriculum that teaches them about electricity systems and how to build a career in public power.
“The idea was to connect with the part of our community that doesn't really have access to or know how to get into a utility career, who might not know anything about it or have people encouraging them,” she said.
OEU’s staff sees the program as fulfilling its community engagement mission, especially in connecting with customers in ways that help them understand the role the public power utility plays in their lives - and how they can in turn work for their local utility as a means of supporting their community.
“We recognized that we had to meet with community leaders and see what they needed, which involved considering the needs of underserved people who are just worrying about their light bill and may not even realize that behind the scenes there are careers they can work in,” Williamson said.
OEU recognized that for many young people who might not have access to training or career resources, they tend to look for longshot opportunities to bring themselves career success and financial stability.
“They're often looking for a lottery ticket in athletics – maybe making it big in football, basketball, or track - thinking that'll change the dynamics of their family. But the reality is, no matter how talented, less than one percent of these kids break into the professional leagues,” Williamson said.
The public power utility recognized there was potential to provide opportunities for engaged, ambitious high schoolers who might otherwise leave the community and take their determination to build a career elsewhere.
The City Path Summer Training Academy represented an effort to take this potential and guide it around a local career that gave these young people an opportunity to make a life for themselves supporting their community.
“That’s been my pitch when speaking to the community. We live here, we go to school here, we go to church here, and we shop here. And our employees here take a lot of pride and satisfaction in serving our neighbors,” Williamson said.
As OEU director Doug Peebles noted, the program also helps bring the students’ parents into closer contact with the utility, fostering an overall culture of trust and communication.
“We recognize the importance of connecting with the families, not just the students. That’s a key point. Because if the parents don’t have buy-in, the program won’t likely be successful,” Peebles said.
The program’s first class was held in summer 2026 and was successful in drawing students and building enthusiasm for careers in public power.
“It definitely put a smile on our face to see our first class so successful. Every student loved it and is trying to find out what comes next,” Williamson said.
Looking forward, OEU hopes that students who have had positive experiences with the program will take up the mantle of teaching and mentoring future cohorts.
“The hope for the next class is to allow these students to tell their story and share their experience, which many are already starting to. It would be great to have these alumni come in and continue building that kind of community support and engagement,” Peebles said.
