Beginning in August 2024, full-time employees of Hitachi Energy can enroll online in robust offerings through a competitive tuition benefit program resulting in no out-of-pocket tuition to the employee-students.

“Averett is dedicated to bolstering the local workforce and facilitating accessible educational routes that pave the way for career progression,” said Averett President Dr. Tiffany M. Franks. “Through collaboration with industry partners to support employers’ most important resource – their people – we aim to bolster their employee benefits packages, potentially boosting talent acquisition and retention efforts.”

Hitachi Energy employees are eligible to pursue Averett courses, certifications, and degree programs in an array of undergraduate disciplines such as business administration, cyber security, and computer information systems. Additionally, Master of Business Administration degrees are available online or in-person across several business disciplines like entrepreneurship, human resource management and data analytics, as well as graduate certifications in applied data analytics and applied healthcare analytics.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Averett University, providing our employees the opportunity to further their education through deferred tuition,” said Ryland Clark, Community Relations and Engagement Manager for Hitachi Energy in South Boston. “This initiative underscores our commitment to investing in our teams’ professional growth and development, ensuring they have access to the resources they need to thrive in their careers. By supporting our employees in their educational pursuits, we enhance their skills and knowledge and drive innovation and excellence within our organization.”

This collaboration is an expansion of Averett’s “Workforce Rx” initiative which consists of responsive, agile, and inclusive partnership strategies between Averett and employers in the area to elevate regional workforce and talent development needs with no out-of-pocket tuition for employees. To date, Averett has partnered with numerous corporations to address the workforce and industry needs of the region.

In operation since 1968, Hitachi Energy’s transformer facility in South Boston has been a leading employer in the area for decades, hosting around 450 employees in a state-of-the-art location that produces both distribution and power transformers for the nation’s power grid, commercial buildings, renewable energy plants, data centers, and industrial facilities, as well as traction transformers for use in railway applications.