The new scholarship, presented to outstanding high school candidates planning careers in electric power generation or in related fields of higher academic study, will begin with the high school graduating class of 2007.

With the expected retirement of hundreds of thousands of power plant professionals over the next 15 years, recruitment and development of the next generation of power plant professional is one of the toughest issues facing the industry today. Supported by contributions from a broad spectrum of electric power generation companies, the scholarship fund promises to be a significant part of the engineering and technology professions' outreach to cultivate a vigorous new future workforce.

The scholarship is open to all high school seniors active in one or more JETS programs such as TEAMS or NEDC during the 2006-2007 school year. Some 40,000 students at all grade levels in more than 6,000 high schools participate annually in JETS programs. The competitive scholarship will be awarded based on an application and a 750-word maximum essay. In the essay, applicants address the following issue: Tell us why you would or would not want a nuclear power plant to be built in your hometown. Does your answer change if, instead of a nuclear power plant, a big solar energy collector is to be built? Why or why not does your answer change?

The scholarship fund's organizers say their efforts are intended to further science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education to America's young people, which could prove crucial to America's global competitiveness. U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics indicate that within five years science and engineering occupations will experience a growth rate 70 percent greater than any other profession.

According to a Business Roundtable report, "Tapping America's Potential," this massive growth rate stands in stark contrast to major areas of concern facing the nation's future workforce demands. Among its findings, the report recommends the promotion of STEM career information by educators, something JETS and Power Engineering hope the scholarship will help advance.

Entry deadline for the inaugural Next Generation scholarship, valued at a minimum of $5,000, is March 2, 2007. The scholarship winner will be announced in May 2007, in time for the Fall 2007 school year.

"The Next Generation Scholarship Fund is another way for the industry to proactively address the critically significant need to develop the coming generations of power industry professional," said Richard Baker, vice president North American Power Generation Group for PennWell Publishing, publisher of Power Engineering. "It's our responsibility to take a leadership role in helping the electric power industry address workforce issues."

"Making a contribution is an excellent way for companies to invest in the nation's future workforce," said David Wagman, managing editor of Power Engineering. "It also is a cost-effective way for companies to gain recognition among young people and educators and the institutions that directly reach these bright young minds." As part of JETS, a 501(c)(3) organization, all contributions to the fund are tax deductible.

JETS Director of Development Megan Balkovic said corporate contributions to the Next Generation Scholarship Fund may be made at three levels: $5,000 Innovator Level; $2,500 Facilitator Level; and $1,000 Baseload Level. Details on giving and the perks that go with each level of support may be found at the JETS Web site at www.JETS.org or at the Power Engineering magazine Web site at www.power-eng.com.

More information is available by contacting Megan Balkovic at mbalkovic@jets.org or (703) 548-5387, ext. 102, or David Wagman of Power Engineering magazine at davidw@pennwell.com or (918) 831-9866.

About JETS
Since its founding in 1950 JETS has evolved into the premier national organization dedicated to informing students about the role of engineers and engineering in our lives and encouraging as many students as possible to consider a career in engineering.

JETS has programs in virtually every state, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Each year, JETS programs serve more than 40,000 students and 10,000 educators across 6,000 high schools each year. JETS students come from all geographic areas - large urban and suburban high schools with thousands of students to small remote and rural schools with fewer than 40 students.

About Power Engineering magazine
Power Engineering, publishing continuously since 1896, is a monthly engineering and applications magazine that serves the North American power generation industry including electric utilities, industrial power plants, independent power producers, co-generators and the engineering design and construction firms serving this industry.

Recognizing the critically important need to develop the next generation of power industry workforce, Power Engineering magazine is committed to taking a leadership role in support of action-oriented initiatives to promote workforce development. Power Engineering magazine is proud to be flagship media sponsor for the Next Generation Scholarship Fund administered by JETS.