Gateway Community College (GCC) and Southern Connecticut State University have created a unique pathway for  students to receive the education necessary to fill projected job openings at Connecticut’s utility companies. Through the Public Utility Management Degree programs, developed in close consultation with many of the state’s utilities including the Regional Water Authority, The Metropolitan District, UI, and Eversource, students will increase their career opportunities in an ever-changing, growing field. 

Society’s current and future emphasis on using resources wisely and efficiently, along with the constant introduction of new technology, have created a need for trained professional utility managers in the drinking water, wastewater, electric, natural gas, renewable energy and electronic communications fields. The Public Utility Management Program at GCC provides graduates with a wide variety of career tracks in these industries by providing technical, business, asset management, customer service, marketing, accounting, information technology, and office administration skills.

Employment prospects in all utility fields are excellent. The U.S. Department of Energy’s “Transforming the Nation’s Electricity System” publication states that by 2030 electric utilities and smart grid companies will need 105,000 new employees but only 25,000 workers want the positions. Similar statistics can be found for all utility types.  

According to Larry Bingaman, president and CEO, Regional Water Authority, “This is an exciting program that benefits the utilities, Southern and Gateway, as well as the students. The utilities gain a pool of qualified candidates to assume management and technical positions; Southern and Gateway have a new curriculum that meets the needs of local utilities; and the students gain new career opportunities.”

Gateway's associate degree in public utility management program prepares students to become competent, skilled and professional workers who are able to meet the demands needed for is interpersonal skills, math, critical thinking, writing (concise writing), and customer service. Additionally, some of the courses from the GCC’s Water Management and Clean Water Management Certificate of Achievement Programs can be used toward an Associate’s degree. Students can then earn their Bachelor of Science degree at Southern, which provides a specialization in public utility management within its program in business administration. 

For more information contact Wesley L. Winterbottom, Program Coordinator, Public Utility Management Program, at (203) 285-2354 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..