Cooperative Living May 2017 - 25

YourBusiness
Training the Next
Generation of Lineworkers
Nearly 50 high-school graduates attended SVCC's first three Power Line Worker classes.
B
y 2022, America's electric
cooperatives will need to hire
nearly 15,000 people to fill jobs
ranging from information technology
specialists to line crews. Investor-owned
utilities, municipal power systems and
private power-line contractors will also
need thousands of skilled
workers to keep our
nation's energy grid
running safely and
reliably.
In particular,
America is facing
a shortage of
lineworkers,
despite the good
pay, excellent
benefits and
opportunities to
advance offered
by this career.
But a new in-state program
has already made great strides towards
addressing this concern. Last year,
Virginia's electric cooperatives helped
launch the Power Line Worker Training
Interested in learning more about
where to find the training needed
to land a job in the energy
industry? Visit the websites
www.getintoenergy.com or
www.breakingenergy.com. Many
schools and energy employers
also promote opportunities
during Careers in Energy Week,
celebrated each year during the
second week in October.
www.co-opliving.com
May 2017 | Cooperative Living | 23
'Those
considering the Power
Line Worker Training School
should be aware that this is a
physically demanding training
program that requires heavy lifting,
climbing and outdoor activities
in all weather conditions.'
- Keith Harkins
School at Southside Virginia Community
College (SVCC) in Blackstone.
Nearly 50 high-school graduates
attended SVCC's first three Power Line
Worker classes. Using curriculum from
the National Center for Construction
Education and Research, this 11-week
pre-apprentice program covers
all of the fundamental
aspects of power-line
work, including
climbing skills,
obtaining a
commercial driver's
license, and the
most crucial
element of all:
safety.
" All but one
graduate from our
first two 2016 classes
has found full-time
employment, with nine of these
graduates going to work for Virginia's
electric cooperatives, " said Keith Harkins,
vice president of workforce development
and continuing education at SVCC.
This year, with affordable dorm-style
housing now available within a few blocks
of the program's classrooms, SVCC can
accommodate students from across the
Commonwealth as well as other states.
" Those considering the Power Line
Worker Training School should be aware
that this is a physically demanding training
program that requires heavy lifting,
climbing and outdoor activities in all
weather conditions, " Harkins explained.
If you know a young person who enjoys
working outdoors and is looking for a
career that is both challenging and
rewarding, they can learn more about
the Power Line Worker Training School
and upcoming classes by visiting
www.southside.edu or contacting
Susan Early at 434-292-3101 or
susan.early@southside.edu.
Several types of financial aid are
available, and students from co-opserved
homes are eligible to apply for
scholarships offered by the Virginia,
Maryland & Delaware Association of
Electric Cooperatives' Education
Scholarship Foundation. 
http://www.southside.edu http://www.getintoenergy.com http://www.breakingenergy.com http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living May 2017

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