Lexie Bryant: A Passionate Journey into the Lineworker Trade

Getting Her Start

I grew up knowing a lot of lineworkers. I had gotten my degree in a few other things like pre-radiologic technologies, went to business school at the University of Nebraska and decided to be a paralegal and go the law school route. Every doctor and lawyer I met always hated their jobs and dreaded work. The only group of people I've ever met who enjoyed their job and talked about it with such passion were the lineworkers I knew. When it came to line school or law school, I chose line school to take a chance. I then went to a full-day boot camp to interview for a position as an apprentice. 

Going to Line School

I attended a two-year line school, and my instructor was very detail-oriented and old school. He liked things done right and was mainly focused on teaching us line work rather than book work, so a lot of the classes were done by us at home. During several days a week, we spent time climbing and building structures and different line for four to eight hours a day.

Training in the Field

I've been an apprentice twice for a municipality and an REA, and this is my second year at Omaha Public Power District (OPPD). We work out of three centers that we rotate through in Omaha, Elkhorn and Papillion, Nebraska. The work at each center is a little different. We have a climbing yard, hurt man rescue training, classrooms and test rooms at each center, as well as an underground training site for all of our URD work. We are constantly going to training whether it be online, in-person or taking classes in the training room.

Rotating Crews

We alternate crews every three months. It gives you a chance to see everyone’s tips and pointers and definitely gets you acclimated to different personalities. We focus on climbing, troubleshooting, underground construction and maintenance as well as the same for aerial. On-the-job training is doing the work with the lead journeyman and maybe one or two other people. At the center I’m working at now, which works primarily on jobs 200 hours or less, we get different work orders every day.

Challenges and Rewards

I think we have it a lot better than the apprentices before us just due to the way corporations are moving. They definitely aren't as hard on us like they were when the lineworkers I knew were coming through. I think the tools available and safety features provided make it a lot better as well. I don't feel like we are facing the challenges like the older generations.

Life in the Line Trade

I absolutely love what I do. I love that it's a challenge and can keep me engaged unlike a lot of the other professions I had that just came easy. This is hard mentally and physically for me and I get to go home most days knowing I'm improving or seeing improvement in areas. You don't get that at a corporate job. I love working hard and feeling the rewards from it knowing I am doing things I never thought I could've done.

Succeeding in the Apprenticeship

It takes grit, mental determination and ambition. If you don't have fun with it, you won't ever love it. I have always had a healthy dose of ambition and it has helped me more than ever here. I don't like quitting so whatever it is or how hard it is I usually will be the volunteer and try until I get it done.

Advice for Other Apprentices

Always be safe. Plan your second step before making a move in your first. Fast is slow. Adapt and overcome. Listen to the people who are above you but use discretion who you take advice from. You have to love it and have a passion for it, or you won't cut it. I got lucky having such a passion for what I do so even on the hardest days it doesn't feel like work.

Focus on Safety

I try to follow all the rules for safety and PPE just because I am so new. I try to go above and beyond because things are still clicking for me about the way things work. Good habits develop over time, and if you start out skipping steps you will skip them later. Safety is the most important thing in our trade so that we can get everyone home to their families at the end of the day.

Future of the Line Trade

I see a lot of things changing about how things are done. I'm sure safety will always be implementing new rules and internal dialogues will be changing, however, the one great part that seems to stay the same through the generations is the people and the pride we take in the work we do.

Plans for the Future

I hope in five years I'll be a journeyman and have passed my test. I also want to feel confident in what I do enough to help newer apprentices. I would like to be the first female journeyman lineworker for the company I work for. That would be a huge step for me and my goals here.

Editor’s Note: If you would like to nominate an apprentice for Faces of the Future, please email Field Editor Amy Fischbach at [email protected]. All profiled apprentice lineworkers will receive a tool package from Milwaukee Tool. Also, to learn more about Lexie Bryant and her career in the line trade, be sure to check out our Faces of the Future series for T&D World’s Line Life Podcast on Podbean at linelife.podbean.com.