Today we’re excited to introduce you to Courtney Stephens. Courtney is a Mathematician | Energy Career Launcher and is also a content partner. Content partners help Voyage in so many ways from spreading the word about the work that we do, sponsoring our mission and collaborating with us on content like this. Check out our conversation with Courtney below.
Courtney, it’s been too long since we last connected. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts with our community again. Some readers might have missed our prior conversations, so maybe you can kick things off for us with a quick intro?
I find people that have an aptitude for basic math and a great attitude. I train them at my expense in the art of energy quantification. I place them in entry-level roles in the energy industry. I have successfully launched the careers of over 200 professionals. My firm is called QED Energy Associates, and we support all of our QED’ers with follow-on training, mentorship, and career guidance for life!
QED Energy Associates is a business, not a charity, yet your mission and passion are in helping people? How do you help people and still achieve your business goals?
My clients are willing to pay a fee to hire someone that QED has expertly trained. I have 535 happy clients across the energy sector including energy banking, energy consulting, and energy tech. QED ensures that we have imparted to each of our trainees the technical and soft skills that they will require to be successful in their role. We add value to the lives our trainees by not only setting them up for success in their first role but also providing continuing technical support and mentorship throughout their careers. QED has been in business for thirteen years and with growth in both the traditional energy sector and energy transition, we are now more busy than ever. Most of our clients are repeat clients, and the success of our model has been proven and leveraged in every part of the energy industry.
Is QED Energy Associates like a trade school or a university?
QED’s training facility resembles a classroom, but we are absolutely not a trade school or university. QED is a highly respected firm that provides reservoir engineering technician consulting, training, and placement services. QED invests over $30,000 to train each candidate that joins ours ranks, and only about 50% of the people that begin our training curriculum are successfully about to complete it. We have been compared to a boot-camp, but most boot-camp’s charge participants money. We accept candidates into our training program that we believe will yield a good return on investment. QED is very much an office – not a school.
How much does it cost for someone seeking to build a professional career to train at QED?
It costs me about $30,000 to train a new professional. I, Courtney Stephens, pay for the training of all candidates. Most people don’t think about how expensive it is to train a new professional, and the job we train for is highly technical. Several of the software applications that trainees need to master to be successful in this role cost more than a car. I pay for trainers, QED’s training facility, liability insurance, not to mention internet and phone service, physical computer equipment. I employ a staff that includes sales professionals, contract negotiators, accounts, and technical experts. The cost of running our operation is high. Therefore, I would say it costs a lot to train someone. I see it as an investment. Every investment has risk, and I am happy to take the risk in hopes that I will make a good return on my investment when our trainee gets placed in their job. I get the placement fee, the trainee gets a great job and a great future, the company gets a great professional that adds tremendous value; it’s a win win win.
Historically you have had so much success with the QED Real OG Program. We see that you have recently announced the QED Career Launchpad? How are those programs different?
The QED Real OG Program is classroom based and takes place during normal business hours. QED needs to find 12 candidates worthy of an investment to make the QED Real OG Program worthwhile. Unemployment rates are currently very low, and we cannot source 12 candidates each quarter to start a section of the QED Real OG Program under these conditions. The new and improved QED Career Launchpad can allow QED to make a return on investment with much smaller class sizes, and we can provide training outside of normal business hours. The QED Career Launchpad also incorporates remote training options. The flexibility of the QED Career Launchpad should help us to attract more candidates under current conditions. That being said, if conditions change, we will be happy to reintroduce the QED Real OG Program.
What are some of the pitfalls that you fell into as a young entrepreneur and how do you avoid them now?
Success comes in waves. There will be good days; plan for the hard days ahead. Surround yourself with good people that you trust. Ask for their opinion. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Bring consistency and focus to your joint mission. Lead from the front. Never ask anyone to do anything that you wouldn’t do yourself. In your business, conduct yourself in such a way that you set the example for what you expect to see in others.
It was so great to reconnect. One last question – how can our readers connect with you, learn more or support you?
Check us out:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU5fvZFAsIlySGOKN7lXYkQ
https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-stephens-35b93842/
Apply to train with us in ten seconds or less:
https://qedea.com/application-process/
Contact Info:
- Website: https://qedea.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QEDenergyassociates/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-stephens-35b93842/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU5fvZFAsIlySGOKN7lXYkQ
Image Credits
All images are from my iPhone taken by myself or QED Managing Director Ashley Anez.
