Russell Hawes was bombarded by utility companies and contractors recently as he approached graduation from the Northwest Lineman College's (NLC)Electrical Lineworker Program. Contractors and utility companies large and small visited the Oroville, California, campus to recruit the 48 apprentice linemen for their programs.

The 15-week lineman program, held three times a year at both the Idaho and California campuses, is designed to prepare students who have never been in power delivery how to be apprentice lineworkers. Hawes and the other students were feeling the pressure the last few weeks before graduation, as recruiters came to observe, interview and offer them a career in the electric-utility industry.

Opportunities Abound

For several days, the utility representatives observed the students. “One utility company brought a team of eight people to the school for several days,” says Hawes. “They not only watched us climb and carry out tasks, such as changing out a crossarm on a pole, they also observed us participating in classwork.” The representatives also conducted hour-long interviews in front of a panel of representatives from their company. “It was pretty intense,” says Hawes.

There is no doubt that there is a big demand for linemen these days. “The recruiters were so impressed with what they saw, they called back to their HR department to have their company's pre-entry test overnighted to the school. They didn't want to miss the opportunity to hire some of the students,” says Hawes. Since enrolling in the program, Hawes has learned that some companies offer travel as part of the job. Contractors and utilities from Canada to the Mexican border and the East Coast to West Coast have visited the school. Hawes says he would be open to a job that allowed him to move around for a while.

Hawes' classmate Rudy Lethbridge was also starting to see the possibilities. “I just interviewed with a company from the Midwest that was willing to pay for a short-notice plane ticket to fly me out to see their operation,” says Lethbridge. “Companies are willing to do anything they can to get us to talk to them. I think some of us could probably work anywhere we want. If I'm willing to commit to them, they are willing to pay for the three-year apprenticeship — no strings attached.”

The Golden Ticket

Hawes got a free plane ticket and a chance to see a potential employer up close. But the real ticket everyone wanted to get their hands on was the journeyman lineman card. Students referred to it as “The Golden Ticket.”

Dean Johnson explains, “From day-one we have known that we have to have that golden ticket, the apprenticeship training, before we can do anything. It's not about the money. I'm looking at the training programs companies offer first, and then I will look at the dollars.”

Several companies offer students three- or four-year apprentice programs. The only stipulation is they must sign a contract to work for the company for two or three years after completing the apprenticeship. “That's not a problem,” says Johnson. “Some of us have families that we will have to move around with us, but the important thing is getting into a good apprentice program. I need to make sure this is whom I want to work for. Once I make that decision, I am more than willing to sign a contract.”

Company Size Matters

Students were looking at a variety of factors, such as the size of the company, as they sorted out whom they want to go to work for. Johnson says, “I see pluses and minuses in going with a big company. A large company may have more resources. It can send out 20 recruiters, while the smaller companies may only send one person. Large companies may have more benefits, too, but smaller utilities offer a more personal place to work.”

Armand Raines, agrees, “We visited a very large company a few weeks ago. They took us around to talk with their people and their operation's center. You could definitely tell they had that ‘big company’ mentality. It was all business. In a way it was intimidating,” says Raines. “I also had the opportunity to spend a day with a small municipality with only six linemen. It felt more like a family. Everyone talked to everyone every day. But it was definitely small.”

Going to work for a small company verses a large one was only one of many decisions Raines and the other graduates were faced with. Safety was in the back of many students' minds. Hawes says, “Some companies rubber glove, others don't at all. Some companies have two linemen rubber gloved. Others just have one. There are a lot of different views about safety.”

Raines says, “We are getting into a dangerous line of work, so I want to look at their safety program. One company visiting us said it had only had one major accident in 33 years. And the accident wasn't even related to line work. They are making a statement that safety is No. 1. For me, that's huge.”

Johnson is also looking at the companies' safety programs. “We have heard lots of stories about the accidents and the risks around energized lines. One slip could cost you your life,” says Johnson. “The old-timers talk about climbing a 90-ft pole or working a 500-ft span over a river. It kind of makes my stomach drop. The tallest thing we have here is 55 ft.”

School Builds Confidence

But after spending four months away from home learning about the industry and practicing some of the basics, the students appear to be ready for the real world. “I'm feeling pretty confident,” says Raines. “I was impressed with both the academic and field skills training we have had. I just interviewed with a company that said it had never interviewed a group before with this caliber of knowledge and attitude.”

Lethbridge is also more confident about his future as a lineman apprentice. “Going to this school was a big commitment. Leaving my family up north for four months while I was down here in a hotel with the other students with no income was one of the hardest things for me to do. But it was worth it. You can't help but feel proud that you are becoming a part of an elite team of professionals.

“The academic part was exceptional. We touched on just about everything from power generation and substations to transmission and distribution. Then we practiced hands-on in the field — climbing, grounding and how to lift up a transformer. It gave me a feel for lineman work and in the real world,” adds Lethbridge.

Graduate's Fears

Raines worries about the “real world” — that first day on the job. “Our instructors have told us that the real learning will come when we hit the field. What we learned here doesn't even scratch the surface. Every company does things differently, so it will be a whole new experience.”

Climbing was the hardest thing for Johnson. “Putting on those hooks was a roller-coaster feeling for the first few weeks, but now I am fine with it,” he says. “The thing that will be a challenge for me is the underground. I'm familiar with overhead because you can see it, but underground is completely foreign. There are a lot more ways to do underground. And whomever you go to work for is going to do it differently.”

Hawes agrees, “The overhead hands-on training, grounding, setting up crossarms was all good, but there are a thousand ways to build underground. I feel, personally, that I will be completely blown away for a while.

Hit the Ground Running

On graduation day, alumni, families and friends gathered to see the students show off their pole-top rescue, double-arm changeout and single-crossarm changeout skills. During the afternoon ceremony at NLC's Oroville campus, Aaron Howell, president of NLC, spoke to the graduates and presented awards for various achievements.

By the following Monday, Hawes, Raines, Lethbridge and Johnson, along with most of the others in the class, had received job offers. Hawes got his opportunity to travel, going out of state to work for Great Southwestern Construction in Castle Rock, Colorado. Raines and his brother Nick, also a student, found out what that first day on the job is like at San Diego Gas & Electric. Lethbridge also went to work for San Diego Gas & Electric. And by the end of the first week after graduation, Johnson took a temporary job while he completes advanced studies before taking a job as a lineman apprentice.

The Northwest Lineman College Electrical Lineworker Program

Northwest Lineman College's 15-week Electrical Lineworker Program is offered three times a year at the Oroville, California, and the Meridian, Idaho, campuses. The program provides training for individuals who wish to work as electrical line workers in the power-delivery industry.

Accident Prevention	Academic Training
Safety rules Safety meetings Housekeeping Tools and equipment inspections Near-miss and accident review discussions Proper care, use and storage of tools and equipment	Rigging Basic electricity Electrical systems Transformers Personal protective grounding Career planning and strategies
Field Training	Certifications
Climbing wood poles Tool and equipment operation Rigging and knot tying UG cable preparation and termination Personal protective grounding	Climbing wood poles Pole-top rescue Aerial-lift rescue Vault rescue Class A commercial drivers permit (California)/license (Idaho) First aid — CPR OSHA 1910.269