Apprentice Electric Lineman Training Program

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
Apprentice Electric Lineman Training Program

Gulf Coast Lineman Training ProgramAn Electrical Lineman installs and repairs cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution system, installs insulators, erects wooden poles, and light or heavy duty transmission towers. Cable splicer and troubleshooter are also roles performed by an electrical lineman. Electrical lineman are in particularly high demand during emergency situations when power lines are downed or damaged, by such natural disasters as tornados, hurricanes, or ice storms.

-- Dictionary of Occupational Titles 821.361-026    

The Apprentice Electric Lineman Training program has been a success since it debuted at Gulf Coast at the George County Occupational Training Center in Lucedale, Mississippi. The job offer rate for graduates of the pilot program was 100 percent, and qualified workers in this field remain in demand.

One element that continues to be a major contributor to the program’s positive success is the involvement of diverse groups. In addition to Gulf Coast, representatives of rural electric cooperatives, electrical contractors, and the local community collaborate jointly to ensure that program enrollees receive industry-standard training and instruction. Along with hands-on experience, the key components are full-time lineman experience and specialized education that instructors possess. Students are trained on de-energized lines in an entry-level apprentice program. The following program goals were developed jointly by education and industry.

MISSION AND GOALS

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College welcomes the responsibility to respond to all the educational needs of our community by delivering excellent products and services. Specific goals include providing vocational and technical programs leading to diplomas which will prepare students for employment with emphasis on serving community needs.

The Apprentice Lineman Training Program is proposed as a 4-month regular vocational program to prepare entry-level (apprentice) graduates for immediate employment in electric utility and rural cooperatives.

The Apprentice Electric Lineman Training Program is designed as an immediate response to industry demands. The electric power industry is experiencing a shortage of trained linemen; therefore, the specific goals of this training program are as follows:

Specific Goals

  1. To prepare apprentice-level students for employment as electric lineman
  2. To award 16 hours vocational credit for successful completion of the coursework
  3. To assist business and industry in meeting an existing and future labor shortage by creating a pool of qualified applicants.
  4. To develop a partnership with industry to meet specific training needs and become a model training program for the state, region and nation.

Apprentice Electric Lineman Training Program
CURRICULUM CONCENTRATION

  • Basic Skills
  • Basic Computer Applications
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Basic Electricity, Codes, etc.
  • Basic Electricity I
  • Basic Electricity II
  • National Electric Code Course
  • National Electric Safety Code Course
  • RUS Specifications (Overhead and Underground)
  • OSHA
  • CPR, First Aid, and Bloodborne Pathogens
  • Hazardous Material Training and Material Safety Data Sheets
  • Job Site Safety (Confined Space, Shoring, etc.)
  • Personal Protective Equipment
  • Power Company Specific

    • Pole Climbing
    • Pole Top Rescue and Bucket Truck
    • System Protection and Operation Basics
    • Transformer Banking
    • Transformer Change Out From Pole
    • Rigging

    * Students are trained on de-energized lines

    Special Admission Requirements

    Applicants must meet general admission requirements as well as the following special requirements:

    • 18 years of age by program graduation date
    • high school diploma or GED
    • valid driver’s license
    • Enjoy outdoor work
    • physically able to climb
    • pre-screening aptitude test

    Certification/Equipment Training

    • Forklift Training and Certification
    • CDL and MDOT Traffic Control Methods
    • Truck Operation (Bucket Trucks and Digger Trucks)

    Partners *

    • Singing River Electric Power Association
    • Twin County Electric Power Association
    • Southern Pine Electric Power Association
    • South Mississippi Electric Power Association
    • Dixie Electric Power Association
    • Pearl River Valley Electric Power Association
    • Red Simpson, Inc.
    • Magnolia Electric Power Association
    • Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
    • Yazoo Valley Electric Power Association

    * Upon curriculum competition and applying for a job, most companies require drug and alcohol screening and a physical exam. Completing the Apprentice Electric Lineman curriculum does not guarantee a job.

    Your Future as an Electrical Lineman

    Job placement in this field is very good. The outlook increases to “excellent” for persons willing to relocate and/or travel. Starting pay for an apprentice ranges from $11-$13 an hour. An apprentice who completes a three-to four-year internship could qualify as a journeyman lineman and earn from $17-$20 an hour. Benefits usually include major medical, dental, retirement, 401K and vacation.

    Graduates of this program continue on a career path leading to journeyman lineman or serviceman in public or private companies.

    Note: Program graduates are responsible for purchasing their own tools and equipment. (Cost ranges from $800 to $1000.)

    Apprentice Electric Lineman Training Program
    For additional information about the Apprentice Electric Lineman Training Program, call the George County Center or any MGCCC Career Center.

    • Dr. Dean Belton, Administrative Dean, George County Center
      (601) 947-4201

    For more information, contact:

     

     

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    This web page is maintained by: Connie Ladner
    Last modified: July 13, 2006
    Copyright © 2000, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College