Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) has hired 35 graduates of the company's utility worker training program as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance service reliability for customers in northern and central New Jersey.
The new employees include 27 line workers and eight substation electricians that are members of the first graduating classes since the Power Systems Institute (PSI) training programs were reinstituted at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft and Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg in 2014.
"PSI-trained employees are prepared to immediately enter the JCP&L workforce and help maintain and expand our electric system," said Jim Fakult, president of JCP&L. "The rigorous class work and experience gained in the field by working with veteran JCP&L line and substation personnel helps deliver safe and reliable electric service for our customers, now and in the future."
The new lines employees and hometowns are: Anthony Amato, Belford; Kyle Anderson, South Amboy; Nicholas Bautz, Landing; Michael Bodoh, Oakhurst; Douglas Bruder, Bayville; Brendan Campbell, Leonardo; Eric Comunale, Bangor, Pa.; Zachary Comunale, Bangor, Pa.; Jesse Deleasa, Great Meadows; Nate Foster, Brick; Charles Geran III, Toms River; David Kienzle, Bangor, Pa.; Steve Kiernan, Oakhurst; Theodore Klamerus, Newton; Edwin Klecan, Monroe Township; Devon Kramer, Kintnersville, Pa.; Jacob Kramer, Kintnersville, Pa: Patrick Langan, Hazlet; Eric Mauriello, Howell; Cameron McCusker, Phillipsburg; Adam Miller, Portland, Pa.; Vanessa Patterson, Lebanon; Tyler Renner, Matawan; Jason Schnorrbusch, Brick; Nick Shevchenko, Matawan; Rich Tanner, Glen Gardner; and James Woods, Toms River.
The new substation employees and hometowns are: Guiliano Alano, Somerville; Maurice Gaquer, Brick; Forrest Keigler, Bridgewater; Allan Laupa, Belle Mead; Grant Moore, Whitehouse Station; Jacob Sarson, Belvidere; Chris Spedden, Denville and Devin Weiss, Monmouth Junction.
In addition, six current JCP&L employees also completed the PSI program. They include: James Floyd, Hackettstown, line; Tarrel Lester, Morristown, line; Daniel McKnight, Little Egg Harbor, line; James Potter, Forked River, line; Lance Vannatta, Phillipsburg, line; and Kevin Nagle, Barnegat, substation.
As part of the training program, all the graduates will be rotated among various line and substation shops across JCP&L's service area before being assigned to a permanent work location.
PSI is an award-winning, two-year educational program originally developed by FirstEnergy in 2000 to help prepare the company's next generation of utility line and substation workers.
PSI students split time between classes at the two colleges and JCP&L training facilities in Farmingdale and Philipsburg. Since the program's inception, FirstEnergy has hired nearly 1,500 line and substation personnel who completed PSI programs in Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
