Calling all students! This event is for you!
- Click here to check out event details!
- Click here for the Hiring for Hydro™ Agenda!
- Download the Hiring for Hydro™ Flyer for Students
- Exhibitors
- Download the Hiring for Hydro™ Flyer for the Waterpower Community
- Click here for Student Testimonials!
- Learn more about NWHA’s Annual Conference – NORTHWEST HYDROELECTRIC ASSOCIATION
Deadline to apply and receive a complimentary resume review – February 1
Deadline to apply to participate (no resume review) – February 15
Please submit your application by following the blue “Apply” button. You will be able to upload your resume and cover letter with your application. Questions? Contact Amanda@hydrofoundation.org.
About Hiring for Hydro™ + Event Details
The Original Renewable Energy is Creating Jobs!
Technological advances and the need to grow our renewable resources are helping the industry grow. However, an aging workforce means there are tremendous career opportunities across the entire hydropower spectrum. The Hydropower Foundation established the event to address the industry’s hiring needs, build academic interest at the college level and create a strong conduit between the hydro industry and regional schools.
Click here to read more about Hiring for Hydro’s history.
Frequently Asked Questions
When?
February 25, 2025, 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
Where?
NWHA’s Annual Conference – NORTHWEST HYDROELECTRIC ASSOCIATION (nwhydro.org)
The Venue
The Venue- Sheraton Grand
1400 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101
What is it?
Students participate in a jam-packed day that includes an opening introduction to hydropower (Hydro-101); a focused resume-building activity; an opportunity to learn about hydropower careers directly from industry organizations, and most importantly, the chance to meet and network with hydropower industry professionals and potential employers.
The program is working, and students are getting hired! Are you next?
Who should attend Hiring for Hydro?
The Hydropower Foundation is seeking students or recent graduates interested in a potential career in hydropower or a related field.
Have you taken coursework related to energy, environmental sciences, water resources, or engineering?
Are you looking for job opportunities in the crafts and trade profession, including welding, machining, operations, power electronics, and mechanical/electrical disciplines?
If you answer yes to either question, you are an ideal candidate to attend.
How much does it cost to participate?
This is a free event and includes a complimentary lunch provided by NWHA; application is required.
Financial assistance will be considered for students traveling more than 2 hours to the event.
How do students participate?
To apply, students will complete the application form, and share a cover letter about why they are interested in a career in hydropower and a resume.
When should students apply?
Deadline to apply and receive a complimentary resume review – January 10, 2024
Deadline to apply to participate (no resume review) – January 26, 2024
Questions?
Contact Amanda at Amanda@hydrofoundation.org
Deadline to apply and receive a complimentary resume review – February 1
Deadline to apply to participate (no resume review) – February 15
Please submit your application by following the blue “Apply” button. You will be able to upload your resume and cover letter with your application. Questions? Contact Amanda@hydrofoundation.org.
Hiring for Hydro™ Agenda
Agenda is subject to change.
9:00 am – Welcome.
9:10 am – Why Hydro? Hear inspiring stories from leaders within the hydropower industry.
9:40 am – Hydropower 101
10:20 am – Career Opportunities: Government Jobs, Private Utility, Careers & Consulting
11:00 am – Hydro Resource Center- Elevator Speech, Interview tips, and Networking 101
12:30 pm – Industry Networking Lunch
2:30 – 4:30 pm – Hiring for Hydro Career Fair
4:30 pm – Thank you and Keep in touch!
List of Exhibitors
Canyon Hydro
Cascadia Law Group PLLC
KGS Group
Klamath River Renewal Corporation
Kleinschmidt
Lewis County PUD
Low Impact Hydropower Institute
Hibbard Inshore
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
McMillen
Mason PUD 3
Mesa Associates
Northwest Hydroelectric Association
PacifiCorp
Puget Sound Energy, Inc.
Rittmeyer
Schnabel Engineering
Seattle City Light
Stoel Rives LLP
Tacoma Power
Thompson Construction Group
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
AND MORE!!!
Exhibiting at Hiring for Hydro? Here is what you need to know:
- Location – The NWHA Annual Conference – Have you registered? If you have not done so, please be sure and register for the conference through the link above. You can confirm your participation in the Hiring for Hydro Career Fair at that time.
- Sheraton Grand- 1400 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101
- Company set up begins at 12:00 pm
- Cocktail Table provided
- The idea is for companies to set up the table while students walk around (like a career fair).
- Feel free to bring your company tablecloth; just remember the table is a cocktail size.
- You are also welcome to bring signage, company swag to give out to students, and job opportunity information
- Cocktail Table provided
- Career Opportunities
- Is your company hiring for internships, co-ops, or entry-level positions? We’d love to highlight these opportunities on our new Hiring for Hydro Career portal. This will be available on our website, www.hydrofoundation.org, for students to access all year around. Please send us the job details for us to upload to the portal
- Why do students want to work at your company? This is your chance to inform students of all the great career opportunities in hydro!
- Transportation/Parking
- Valet parking is available for hotel guests $60/night
- Self-Parking- US Bank Center $30/night
- Street Parking is limited but can range from $10-30/night
- Uber/Lyft
- Shipping
- You may ship to the hotel directly (1400 Sixth Avenue, Seattle WA 98101). To retrieve your items, you will go to the Fedex office on the 2nd floor.
Please contact Amanda@hydrofoundation.org with questions.
Student Testimonials
“While at the event, I learned about how hydropower positively impacts our communities. I also learned about the role of engineers in hydropower, the types of problems engineers work on, and the values hydropower companies hold highest. The environment of hydropower was attractive to me and something that I would be very interested in being involved with in the future.“
Alex Junge, Civil/Energy Engineer WSP
“Thank you! Again, I really want to express how grateful I am for the Hydro Foundation and how Hiring for Hydro™ helped me get introduced to working in hydro. Keep up the good work!”
– Annika Kallstrom, Business Technology Analyst, Chelan County PUD
“Being able to further explore the hydropower industry and receive feedback on my senior hydropower project is what drove me to participate in the event. But as I listened to the Hydro 101 session and listened to the spokespeople for PG&E and SMUD, I was more than glad to be able to attend. Their presentations alone were welcoming, motivating me to consider going into hydropower for my career!”
-Julian Medrano, Electrical Engineer – California State University-Sacramento – Participant of Hiring for Hydro 2022 in Sacramento, CA
SPONSORS
Thank you to our Exclusive Member Association Sponsor, Northwest Hydroelectric Association, and our Workforce Partner, the Bureau of Reclamation, for their Sponsorship of the 2024 Hiring for Hydro Event.
Become a sponsor: Sponsors who are NWHA members receive a complimentary table at the career fair, a copy of the student resume book, and networking opportunities with students and attendees. Table Sponsorships are available until sold out. Non-NWHA members can register to sponsor a table for $1000.00 until sold out. Can’t attend NHWA’s conference or the Hiring for Hydro™ event but still want a resume book and to network with participating students? Purchase the $500 sponsorship, which provides you with your company’s logo on all event promotional materials, access to the student resume book, and the opportunity to share your jobs/internships with participating students.
You can purchase sponsorships when registering for the NWHA Annual Conference or by clicking below.
Hiring for Hydro™ History
- Recent surveys predict up to 700,000 new well-paying jobs will need to be filled by 2025. Produced by the Hydropower Foundation, Hiring for Hydro™ brings together students from colleges throughout the region to participate in an educational workshop focused on career opportunities in hydropower, followed by a unique recruiting session.
- Since its inception in 2017, Hiring for Hydro™ has reached over 200 students from over 14 colleges in the Pacific Northwest who have participated in an educational workshop about careers in hydropower and recruiting sessions.
- Hiring for Hydro™ is a one-day event co-located alongside an industry conference. It has traditionally been held at the Northwest Hydroelectric Association’s annual meeting and continues to expand to other regions.
- For more information on employment in hydro, check out the STEM for Hydropower Portal and this article Confronting the Challenge of the Silver Tsunami.
