Things are looking up for a Toledo Edison job training program that the utility discontinued in 2011. Or to be more specific — about 50 feet up.
The FirstEnergy Corp. subsidiary said Friday that it is reinstating its Power Systems Institute Program, a two-year associate’s degree program that teaches enrollees how to become transmission line repairmen and substation maintenance workers.
The program is a cooperative effort between Edison, which will teach electrical and hands-on repair skills, and Owens Community College, which will provide the two years worth of classroom work. The utility plans to welcome its first class of about 24 students next fall and is taking applications from potential students.
Linda L. Moss, president of Toledo Edison, said the program was begun in 2000. Edison hired about 100 graduates from the start through 2011.
“When the economy took a downturn we saw that our existing employees were staying with us a little longer,” Ms. Moss said. “But now were starting to see more people eligible for retirement. It’s time to reinstate [the program].”
Overall, Edison has a work force of about 170 skilled line repairmen and substation workers, Ms. Moss said.
Friday’s announcement was held at Edison’s Lakewood Operations Center in Northwood, where past graduates showed how to climb utility poles, work out of bucket trucks, and perform their duties while maintaining safety protocols.
“My wife always teases me that I am a professional pole dancer,” said A.J. Durbin, 32, of Lindsey, Ohio, a 2008 graduate of the program and now a utility line repairman working out of the Lakewood center, one of four that Toledo Edison has in its territory.
The work is hard but pays well, Mr. Durbin said. Those who apply must like being outdoors and not be scared of heights.
“You’ll be outdoors all the time. It could be subzero weather or 110 degrees out that day,” Mr. Durbin said.
He added that line workers are rarely at the same job site twice.
“The key is you have to be able to plan ahead and plan all your scenarios,” he said. “Be aware of everything and be very careful. Safety is a priority.”
Contact Jon Chavez at: jchavez@theblade.com or 419-724-6128.
First Published October 18, 2014, 4:00 a.m.
