The Youth Power Generation Intern Development Program: Building Careers, Connections, and Confidence
Every great career starts somewhere – and for three talented employees at GE Vernova in São Paulo, Brazil, that starting point was the Youth Power Generation (YPG) Internship Development Program.
Launched in 2021, the YPG Program has become a powerful catalyst for young professionals across Latin America, where it continues to build momentum. Designed to develop the next generation of talent within GE Vernova’s businesses – ranging from Wind, Hydro, Power Conversion & Storage, and Grid Solutions – the program is centered on three main pillars: hands-on training, impactful projects, and cross-functional networking.
For Victoria Velho, Camila Abdo, and Marcelo Madureira, YPG wasn’t just an internship. It was a launchpad.
From Interns to Industry Leaders
Victoria joined GE Vernova four years ago and now works in recruitment for the Grid Solutions team in Latin America. Her YPG journey introduced her to the company’s collaborative culture and provided early exposure to the values and tools that still shape her work today. In fact, she now plays a pivotal role in developing new YPG participants by organizing training sessions and onboarding materials for each program cycle.
Camila, now a support project manager with the Services team, began her YPG participation in 2022 as part of the Grid Solutions committee and is now the YPG leader for GE Vernova. “It was more than just a program,” she recalls, “it was an opportunity to build real relationships, to understand how the company works, and to get involved in projects that truly mattered.” Camila credits the YPG experience with giving her the confidence and skills to step into a full-time role soon after completing the internship.
Marcelo’s story is particularly special. Now an applications engineer, he joined the YPG program during the height of the pandemic, supporting substation installations remotely – an unusual challenge for such a hands-on discipline. Despite the virtual format, Marcelo built strong connections with fellow interns and colleagues across departments. He’s now come full circle: as a full-time employee, he leads the YPG Grid Committee and mentors a new generation of interns.
A Program with Purpose
Each YPG cycle kicks off in June and runs through December, giving interns the chance to work on meaningful projects that contribute to the business. At the beginning of the program, participants receive targeted training to set them up for success – including Excel, PowerPoint, emotional intelligence, and an introduction to the LEAN methodology, a core pillar for GE Vernova’s approach to continuous improvement. Victoria, who leads the training efforts, explains, “We want every intern to start with the right tools and mindset.”
Interns are grouped into project teams, with a dedicated project manager guiding their progress. The projects themselves are selected by the LEAN team and must be both achievable within the six-month window and valuable to the business. Each project culminates in a final presentation to a panel of leaders in December. All participants receive certificates, and the top three teams are recognized with an Impact Award. “Not only do the interns deliver immediate impact to the business through their projects,” says Paul Montgomery, GE Vernova’s Grid Automation Americas Lean Leader, “it is a terrific way for them to develop collaboration, LEAN, and problem-solving skills early in their careers. It is a wonderful program.”
What makes YPG stand out isn’t just the projects or the training – it’s the people. “The best friends I have at GE Vernova are the ones I met through the program”, says Camila – a sentiment echoed by Victoria and Marcelo, who both highlight the program’s role in helping interns build lasting personal and professional networks.
And the benefits go both ways. For GE Vernova, the program has become a strong pipeline for talent acquisition and a way to instill a LEAN, impact-driven mindset early in future employees’ careers.
Looking Ahead
Now in its sixth cycle, with more than 100 projects delivered, and 478 intern participants, the YPG program continues to grow – but there’s still room to expand. Currently operating only in Latin America, with most participants based in Brazil, there are ambitions to roll out the program globally across all GE Vernova businesses. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, but more visibility and support could take the initiative to the next level. Whether it’s helping an engineering student navigate a virtual internship during a pandemic, or empowering interns to lead meaningful change in their departments, the YPG program is making a lasting impact – one project, one connection, and one future leader at a time.
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Camila Abdo has been with GE Vernova since 2021 as a quality management intern, where she developed projects in the Latin American region and globally. In 2023, she started as contractor in the supplier quality area, which allowed her to develop her technical skills. In August 2024, she accepted the challenge of changing, now as a full-time employee, as a project manager for LAM Services projects. She has a degree in Production Engineering.
Victoria Velho started her journey at GE Vernova in 2021, when she joined the company as an intern in the HR Business Partner (HRBP) area. Since then, she has been building a solid and engaged career in the field of Human Resources. In 2023, she was hired as a contractor, providing support to both the HRBP and Talent Acquisition teams, contributing strategically to the organization's talent initiatives. Continuing her professional growth, in August 2024, she began a new chapter as a full-time employee at GE Vernova, taking on the role of HR Specialist – Sourcing and Recruiting, where she remains committed to attracting and connecting talent with the purpose of building the future of energy. She holds a degree in Business Administration.
Marcelo Madureira is an Application Engineer at GE Vernova, focused on substation proposals for energy projects across Latin America. He began his journey at GE Vernova in 2021 as an intern with the OTR team, supporting the execution of large-scale infrastructure projects in the Latin American region. Following his internship, he joined the ITO team, where he has continued to grow and contribute by developing technical proposals and layouts for high-voltage substations.