Scary

[dirtdobber]

we recieved an e-mail at our office asking if we were interested in hiring some basic lineman. heres the part that scares me the e-mail said that the local college was going to start a course that would teach basic lineman skills in maintanance and etc. this class would be complete in 2 thats 2 months a 200 hour course. at the end of this course the graduates would recieve tools and boots this has to be federally funded. what are some of your thaughts on this I do have an e-mail address if some of you would like to voice your oppinion I have. can also give you the name of the comunity college where this will take place hell i will tell you INDIAN RIVER COMUNITY COLLEGE hopefully I will stay out of trouble for that one. this college is on the east coast of florida ft pierce to be precise.:confused: :eek: :mad:

[Koga]

thats about enough time to make a half ass grunt understand whats needed next up a pole and the correct way to get it there ! If not I would be real intrested in seeing the fatality stats for the graduates 5 years down the line.

Do they have anything written down about what they are supposed to learn and be able to do after they finish.

Koga

[snakeman]

There is a community college that is doing a similar thing with my company. It doesnt put them ahead in our apprenticeship though, but rather gives them "first dibs" when we start our apprenticeship training. They still have to go through our two month climb school before even starting our full apprenticeship I believe. I think this is just a stragety to cut down on the attrition rate for the 1st year step apprentices. That away they have already shown dedication in learning the trade, and have a basic understanding of what they are getting into. As long as they dont try to use this as a "fast track" to get into linework and expect to come out of this school as a hot apprentice it seems ok. The school makes a little extra money, and thins the heard trying to get in each apprenticeship. I would expect to see this happening more and more with more attention coming up about the forseen shortage in lineworkers, and schools are always looking for a way to cash in.

[Koga]

Found where they are offering a course in Nuclear Plant tech in cojuction with FP&L. Maybe they have something to do with the linemans course also ?Kind of along the same lines as Snakeman is talking about ?

Koga

[Squizzy]

From what snake was saying it sounds like a pre-apprentice course we have the same sort of things but only in a few trades and definately not linework. They wouldn't let them climb a live pole after only 200 hours would they???

[topgroove]

national grid started up this program this year. we have three apprentices
in our barn that went through the program

[dirtdobber]

went to s.c. for a day got back interested in seeing what was said here. to answer your ? I am waitin on a return e-mail from the individual nothing yet but I will keep yall posted.my ? to 1 of yours is why would they e-mail a utility contractor asking if we would consider hiring these basic lineman. I did ask the lady to please inform me of there definition of a basic lineman is. at 200 hours he/she mght be able to fetch me a bolt or a bottle of water.:)

[topgroove]

Hey Dirtdobber... I think you have the wrong impression of the program. Community Colleges accross the country have seen the obvious. Utilities all accross North America will be in a bad way in a few years. Hell we don't have enough lineman now. Just wait a couple more years its gonna get really bad. At this point most utilities can't simply post a apprentice job and get someone to fill it. We've run out of "in house resources". The colleges offer a program to get young intrested people a taste of the profession. When they graduate they are not automaticly lineman. They still have to go through the apprentice program start to finish and not all of them will succeed. The fact of the matter is most people don't want to or can't do this work and we need this program.

[dirtdobber]

I do agree with what your are saying without a doubt.the way the e-mail came across read differently.I believe it will probably benefit everyone in this line of work. my concern is you give the false impression to some of these kids you know where I am headed with that.I will use hemingray on this forum for example sounds like a smart kid but there are others that think they know everything about line work after 1 year you know the type. hell ive got a few that work for me they scare the hell out of me no we do not let them in the bucket on energized lines. this for me is what is scary not the school giving a class on line work. hopefully our company and the others that were contacted will keep this in mind.(but we will see if the all mighty $$$$$$ wins out also known as greed):)

[BigClive]

Perhaps part of the course should show them some of the youtube videos of burning lorries and people climbing poles and getting fried. It would give them a real experience of the power present when things go wrong.