The 2009 Annual Finepoint Circuit Breaker Test and Maintenance Training Conference will bring representatives from more than 76 different utilities to Atlanta, Georgia, next week. For 16 years, utilities have been sending workers to this conference for valuable substation and switchgear training.

A small investment in substation training can go far in keeping skills fresh, increasing competence level, and generating new solutions to problems, and utilities across the United States have made a commitment to continuing education.

“Prudent utilities need to strengthen their training programs, not slash them, to prepare their workforce for the inevitable recovery and rapid growth,” said Bill Myers, Finepoint’s organizer. “A sudden rush of baby boomer retirements, coupled with recent downsizing and a lack of training, can plunge an entire substation maintenance program into chaos.”

The majority of the Finepoint conference participants are workers who are in the field, performing hands-on maintenance. They learn from attending sessions, examining exhibitor displays and discussing best practices with colleagues.

Charles Currin, senior engineering technical support specialist for Progress Energy and a participant for 12 past Finepoint Conferences, says, "This conference is a good tool for enhancing your breaker skills, learning about breaker issues, maintaining your breaker assets, and collaborating with other utility employees. You need to be willing to look and ask for information from other attendees. Interaction with peers is the biggest source of information at any conference. The nightly exhibits sponsored by various vendors offer great opportunities for interaction and conversation as an added benefit."