Jobs for the energetic

Three decades ago, a young Gonzaga grad started his career at the bottom of the ladder of a local utility company. It wasn't long before he crossed paths with another Zag.

Among the lowly duties assumed by the grad was wrapping water heaters in blankets. When he got pretty good at that, he trained others in the art of water heater blanket wrapping.

The grad smiles at the recollection, and can even remember the name of the young man who bore the title, if there was such a thing, as Best Dang Water Heater Blanket Wrapper.

"If someone wrapped 17 blankets in a day, well, he'd go out and wrap 18," the grad said.

The graduate has gone on to greater things. His name is Scott Morris, and today, he's the head of Avista Corp.

His prize pupil? Kid named John Stockton. Stockton went on to wrap up other accomplishments, we're told.

The art of warming water has improved somewhat since 1981, and our nation's need for energy has reached the boiling point. In the past half century, the U.S. population has basically doubled. Energy consumption? It's grown 14 fold. And unless civilization takes a huge leap backward, which sometimes seems likely, energy consumption is only going to continue to grow.

That's why we're encouraging youngsters wondering where in this bizarre, ever-changing economic climate they're going to find a career, to consider Avista or other energy-producing or energy-managing companies.

If you're a natural electrical engineer and can back it up with a degree - University of Idaho and Washington State have great programs, by the way - Avista wants you. They're recruiting mechanical engineers in their junior years, if that's any indication.

But there are lots of other ways to work your way up, like Morris and Dennis Vermillion, president of Avista Utilities, did. High school students can compete for apprenticeships that, within a few years, can lead to $33-an-hour jobs as journeyman linemen.

Right now, Avista is hiring for call center positions. Don't groan. Those jobs are elevators that will take the highly motivated higher and higher. Morris emphasizes that dealing with customers helps call center employees learn a lot about the business, and that learning often translates into promotion.

We encourage high school-aged students unwilling to set their sights at minimum-wage jobs to explore careers in the world of energy, including accounting, business, technology and many other fields. Avista and its subsidiaries offer lots of opportunities. With hundreds of good jobs within miles of Coeur d'Alene, you can go far without having to go far.