College Grads Go the Homer Route for Jobs

When this group of Miami-Dade college grads yell out “dough” it’s not because they are pulling a Homer Simpson. Well maybe they are.

The 17 graduates of a program jointly run by the college and FPL not only receive a degree and an education, but also a job at a nuclear power plant.

The Electrical Power Technology Program at MDC provides jobs for chosen graduates with a starting pay of $45,000 plus. Sure, you have to work around potentially world-ending chemicals, but with paid benefits, just about any work condition is tolerable – unless you have to work for the likes of Mr. Burns.

“It makes me feel extremely proud, proud for myself and proud for my family,” said Victor Delcid, a recent graduate. ”This is really a life long opportunity here, there's excellent pay and great benefits and I just hope to make a life long career out of it.”

Graduates are assigned to the Turkey Point nuclear power plant, which feeds electricity to much of the state. Beyond the priceless PR for the power company gains, the students likely walk away with the biggest win.

Florida's unemployment rate in April was at 9.6-percent, which is an improvement from the rate in March. May 2009 numbers are scheduled to come out Friday, but we don’t need stats to say what anyone can see. Jobs are hard to find these days and nabbing a well paying one is as hard as spotting a Florida Panther.

Many recent college grads are now being forced to place their life-long career ambitions on hold. So with the class of 2009 set to enter the workforce at the worst possible time, taking what you can get sounds like a cliché.