The Joint Utility Training School, established in 1976 by a consortium of electric utilities, is scheduled for Jan. 20-22, at the Ramkota Motel in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Municipal utilities, investor-owned utilities, rural electrics, and generation/transmission utilities established the consortium and school for safety and training for all of their employees.

Each session is designed as a 12-hour mini-course and sessions will cover transformer connections, operation and safety, field operations and technical support, Siemens regulators and reclosers, security considerations in a utility environment and introduction to networks and the Internet.

The first JUTS were held in Brookings, South Dakota, with the classes held in various areas of the city, wherever there was room. SDSU got on board the early years and assisted with electrical engineers and other instructors to enhance the program.

Vendors played an important role in the early JUTS as well as today. The vendors provide training with new and sophisticated equipment that is changing daily. New products, changing techniques, new tooling, and training of all products is provided by vendors and their factory representatives.

Years later, JUTS is directed by a committee comprising five members from each of the power industry entities. The committee meets three times annually to review sessions, create new sessions, review input from the prior year evaluations completed by attendees, and then establish a program for the coming year. The committee attempts to offer a variety of classes so all employees, from the electric line tech to the office personnel, can attend.