The Utility Business Education Coalition is a strategic alliance of the nation's electric and natural gas utility companies who are committed to advancing industry workforce development initiatives as a business imperative.

In 1995, electric and natural gas utility industry collaboration led to the development of a significant CEO-led workforce development partnership - the Utility Business Education Coalition, Inc. (UBEC). UBEC is a national, CEO-driven alliance of the nation's top electric and natural gas utility companies committed to advancing workforce development initiatives as a business imperative. Established by the American Gas Association (A.G.A.) and the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), UBEC actively networks utilities with national and local resources in support of sustained community involvement to drive educational improvements that lead to workforce development solutions.

UBEC's mission is to engage utilities, community colleges, local workforce boards, high schools and other community-based organizations in strategic actions that improve the employability skills of the local workforce and strengthen local economies. Unlike most employer organizations, UBEC's sole purpose is to develop and support local workforce development partnerships, network them for further replication and support their expansion in support of effective and sustainable local workforce development systems.

UBEC's CEO leadership is focused on a clearly defined, demand-driven strategy. Based on research and an analysis of industry workforce development needs, the UBEC Board in 2004 approved a strategic long-term initiative to help meet the industry's repidly growing need for qualified entry-level skilled and craft workers by engaging the broad-based electric and natural gas utility industry and other key partners in a unified workforce development strategy.

The goals of this strategy were to ensure that all utilities have access to high-quality recruitment, education, and training opportunities in the communities they serve and that these companies are networked to share best practices and replicate success. In October 2004, UBEC launched Securing America's Energy Future as the industry's national workforce development project. The project is focused around four critical actions.

1. The creation of the Utility Workforce Planning Network
2. The engagement of key national partners to achieve industry goals
3. The development of the Centers of Excellence model partnership initiative
4. The development and implementation of a national demand-driven workforce action plan.

UBEC is a strategic long-term commitment that leverages workforce development investments to improve results and expand success. Investment focus on building demand-driven corporate engagement with educators and the public workforce system, positioning communities for workforce development success, and enabling the rapid replication of successful workforce development models and solutions across the country.

UBEC is a 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Reston, Virginia.