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APS values employees' expertise and opinions. We are a company that offers competitive compensation and rewards for outstanding performance. We involve employees in management and decision-making processes.
We’re committed to offering competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits and a sound work environment. And it shows. Job candidates come from far and wide in response to opportunities posted on the company’s Web site. Of job candidates offered employment, 95 percent accept positions with APS and Pinnacle West, indicating that the company is an employer of choice. Once employed, we keep our employees, as evidenced by our turnover rate in 2003 of only 1.3 percent.
APS and parent Pinnacle West enjoy a positive and productive relationship with organized labor including the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), the largest union representing employees within the company. Through this partnership with IBEW, several initiatives have been implemented, including a multi-skill-training program, a process to hire supplemental workers, a drug-free program, an apprenticeship program, a driver qualification program and numerous safety projects.
Attracting Employees
APS is committed to being an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer and strives to create a work environment that draws upon unique backgrounds influences and differences. At APS, our employees are our most important assets in the rapidly evolving and competitive energy industry. Our employees enjoy challenging work, competitive compensation and benefits packages, a safe environment, open communication and an atmosphere of continuous learning.
APS offers a wide array of internships and career opportunities in technical and administrative positions as well as union and non-union positions. Our company's Web site also connects potential job seekers with employment opportunities as well as information about our companies.
We offer school-to-work and scholarship opportunities as well as an extensive internship program that introduces students to virtually every part of our business. Specific programs target students seeking education in finance, accounting, engineering, mathematics and electrical trades.
In 2003, APS conducted a targeted recruitment of “line worker” students for the APS/IBEW Intern Program. The company hired 10 interns of which four entered into our apprentice program. The remaining interns were retained in our supplemental workforce. This is the first time in our company’s history that we have had interns complete a line-worker school. Also in 2003, 79 student interns participated in our school-to-work program.
Workplace Diversity
We continue to develop and retain the best employees. We actively seek to hire a diverse workforce. Diversity is based on the fundamental belief that every human being is of equal worth, entitled to the same privileges and opportunities without regard to race, gender, disability or age. This concept is at the core of our business and our corporation’s culture.
Internally, as part of our diversity initiatives, we’ve created a three-week training program aimed at women and minority employees who express interest in becoming managers. Sponsored by the individual employee’s supervisor, the program offers these employees the opportunity for advancement while establishing a feeder system from which the company can choose its leaders.
Externally, we also created a program that supports minority- and women-owned businesses. Through the APS Academy for the Advancement of Small, Minority and Women-owned Enterprises, or AAAME, APS helps these business owners learn how to thrive and grow their companies. Launched in 1997, AAAME teaches small-business owners the skills necessary for their companies to succeed. These include training in strategic planning, finance, management/operations and marketing. Students then are partnered with advisers from both the non-profit and private sectors — including APS volunteers, business consultants and retired executives — who can provide lessons learned from their own experiences in the business world.
APS does business with many of the companies taking part in the program and in 2003, our company directly spent more than $46 million with minority- and women-owned companies.
You can visit our company Web site for a listing of our officers and board of directors.
EHS Employee Training
At APS, we understand the value of continuous education, and employee training is an integral part of our successful EHS programs. Our employees have an active EHS training system that employs a variety of training media, including internal classes, pre-job safety meetings, external seminars and certification, computer-based instruction, hands-on training and video presentations.
In 2003, our employees completed training on 292 EHS-related courses. More than 55,000 training sessions were completed for the year, for an average of nine training courses per employee. Employees with high-risk jobs participated in additional training. The corporate EHS department maintains a computer-based system called TrainKing which tracks progress and notifies supervisors when training is necessary.
In addition to environmental, health and safety training, we encourage employee continuing education through external course offerings and internally through our Pinnacle West University. Pinnacle West University offers more than 750 online courses covering popular business topics. Courses are available to employees with Internet access from the office or home.
EHS Brownbags
In 2003, the company continued to offer employees informal educational opportunities through its EHS brownbag meetings — luncheon seminars on environmental, health, safety and new technology issues to educate and motivate employees. The lunch seminars are open to all employees. In 2003, 171 employees attended six seminars.
EHS Excellence Awards
APS rewards outstanding individual environmental, health and safety performance and initiatives through the Environmental, Heath and Safety Excellence Awards program. In 2003, 111 EHS Excellence Awards were given for a variety of accomplishments. The honored employees were also recognized in our internal company communications.
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