LUMA College recently opened its new campus in Canóvanas, representing a historic investment in training and education for Puerto Rico’s next generation of local utility workers.
The new LUMA campus is set on 24 acres with 18,000 sq. ft. of facilities, including the only transmission and distribution laboratory in the Caribbean and fifth of its kind in the United States that provides hands-on training for lineworkers, a 10-acre skills and competency training yard, a learning center, and classrooms where courses are offered in skilled labor, technical safety and lineworker crew leadership. Additional space is available for future expansion of the college.
“The education we provide to our students and future lineworkers is based on industry-leading best practices,” said Juan Vargas, president of LUMA College. “The programs offered by LUMA College for Technical Training empowers a diverse and highly trained workforce to rebuild Puerto Rico’s electrical system.”
Training is already being provided at the new campus. Next week, 44 students will graduate and join the more than 3,000 utility workers who have been trained through various programs and training courses at LUMA College since 2021. As part of their commitment to Puerto Rico’s energy future, LUMA’s parent companies, Quanta and ATCO, provided $12.5 million to fully fund the building and construction of the new campus.
“We are incredibly proud to have a diverse and growing workforce throughout Puerto Rico, helping to build a more resilient and reliable energy system for our 1.5 million customers,” said Wayne Stensby, LUMA President and CEO. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with LUMA College, working together to build our next-generation utility workforce and advance the energy industry here in Puerto Rico.”
LUMA College provides educational experiences to support the rebuilding of Puerto Rico’s electric power infrastructure. As the first U.S. Department of Labor-certified lineworker apprenticeship program in Puerto Rico in partnership with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) the college is developing the talent critically needed to transform the electric grid.
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