Arkansas Energy Workforce Consortium Breaks Ground on Line Worker Training Pole Yard

Arkansas Energy Workforce Consortium broke ground Monday on a line worker training pole yard adjacent to University of Arkansas Pulaski Tech Business and Industry Center in Little Rock, Ark., for a new certified line worker training program.

Leaders from utility companies in the state, workforce development groups and community colleges were in attendance as workers set the first pole.

The first group of students is scheduled to begin the six-month program in late summer. Students who complete the program will be certified in several areas, including Certified Line Worker, National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) Core, Power Line and Power Line Worker Level 1 with modules from 2 and 3; Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 10; cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPA) First Aid Basic Plus; and 600 hours of curriculum and exercises. Some students will receive Commercial Drivers’ License (CDL) Training as well.

“Entergy Arkansas is like every other electric utility in the state and across the country,” Michael Considine, vice president of customer service for Entergy Arkansas, said. “We don’t have to look very far into the future to see that we will need more line workers, and we will need a more diverse skill set and experience level from those workers. We are excited to partner with all the other electric utilities in the state as well as our contractors, state workforce groups and the community colleges to help identify and train the line workers for the future.”

A similar program is underway at Arkansas State University – Newport. Plans are also underway for another certificate program to begin later in 2019 at Northwest Arkansas Community College.