Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) is a well-known member of Omaha’s community as well as in the Business arena. A part of the city for years, you probably know someone that has worked there at some time. As a leader of business culture in Omaha, they are uniquely placed to make improvements for themselves that can lead how business in the city will be done.
Having reached out to other diverse partners from across the country, OPPD has begun the journey to open doors even more diverse employees, to guide youth on a path of success and career growth, and to break down barriers that have been standing in our way for far too long. It’s a journey of seeing everyone’s diversity as an asset.
Together, we have been working on showcasing these events. We have been working alongside them for over a year now, following the growth of people involved.
Legacy I-3 is a model to unite companies with local students and guide them towards a rewarding career. The program is a mix of college prep and knowledge about their chosen industry along with the all-important ‘soft’ skills of character development and time management. (We all KNOW we would have benefited from learning better time management as teenagers.)
Since it began, over 100 students have graduated from the Legacy I-3 program and have gone on to college, internships, and full-time employment.
Another strong partnership OPPD has built is with Inclusive Communities, the Lead Diversity program. Participants from across the metro take part in meeting with diverse organizations and discussing ideas not normally talked about.
The Gathering is the next step for employees in OPPD to learn about each other, to forge new connections they never expected. Like finding a new family to support each other, and to see it’s their different backgrounds that make them stronger. Across the region all the way to Nebraska City, we met with the ones that changed lives, and had their lives changed and we were there to share their story with everyone.
All this and so much more to come for sure, look forward to more collaboration, more outreach, and more developments as we continue to tell stories with our own style about the importance of these next steps into a brighter, more inclusive future. Traveling across the state, meeting engaing individuals both young and old, and getting a real look to what we all can be and why it’s worth going to bat for.
