National Lineman Appreciation Day is recognized each year on April 18.
Six Alabama community colleges offer a pathway in this field through the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) Pre-Apprenticeship Linework Program. The participating colleges are Bishop State, Calhoun Community College, Jefferson State, Lawson State, Trenholm State and Wallace Community College-Dothan.
All six colleges have hosted ceremonies recognizing the newest graduates of the program over the past month or will before April is complete. Among the six colleges, more than 200 individuals enroll in the linework training programs each academic year. Class sizes vary with each institution. Most are capped around 12-15 individuals because of the specialized training.
Each institution has local power companies and electric cooperatives to assist with the training for those enrolled. Courses can range from seven to 10 weeks, depending on the institution. Many completers of the program are immediately employed by local companies.
“I’ve had three companies reach out over the course of the last week, inquiring about our students. The need becomes heavier this time of the year,” said Jillian Christensen, Calhoun’s Project Manager for Workforce Solutions. “The Linework Program is a specialized area. Individuals enrolled love working with their hands and it can be rigorous. Not everyone can do it.”
Calhoun is recognizing 16 new graduates of the program this week.
Skills learned through the program include basic pole climbing and electrical knowledge, hardware and powerline installation, truck driving and ladder safety, in addition to adapting best practices for resume writing and interpersonal and interview skills.
Students can also earn their Class A commercial driver’s license (CDL), OSHA 10 and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certifications.
Partnering companies or cooperatives with the colleges include Alabama Power, the Alabama Rural Electric Association of Cooperatives, Huntsville Utilities, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and the Wiregrass Electric Cooperative, among others.
Jefferson State recently honored a class of seven graduates.
Tom McNeal, Workforce Development Program Manager for Alabama Power and an Alabama community college product, was in attendance.
“Alabama Power is one of 22 proud partners that hire from the Pre-Apprentice Lineworker Program. These partners have been extremely impressed with the quality of hires from the program,” McNeal said.
For more information about the linework program, visit https://www.accs.edu/lineworker/