Getting His Start
I saw a Horry-Georgetown Technical College ad for their lineworker program, and the more I looked into the program, the more I thought I would enjoy a career in line work. I attended the electrical lineworker training program, which prepares students to work for utilities. Duke Energy partners with many different community colleges that offer lineworker training programs across its service areas. After I finished the program, I started with Sumter Utilities in July of 2022 doing substation construction and then moved to underground construction. I worked with Sumter Utilities for a little more than a year before moving to Duke Energy.
Training in the Trade
I am currently in the third year of my apprenticeship and work out of the Hartsville Operations Center in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina. We take different phase training classes in New Hill, North Carolina, at the Duke Energy training facilities. They cover a broad range of different topics from splicing underground primary wire to transformer banking, and the instructors do a great job of teaching and answering questions. We’ve gotten opportunities to tour a substation and become more familiar with different parts of the job I don’t regularly see.
Day in the Life
I am assigned to an underground crew in distribution. Currently, we are working on putting in a lot of underground services to new houses and businesses. Hartsville and the surrounding areas in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina are experiencing a lot of growth. We stay busy digging in services to new and existing customers. I get a lot of different training every day through personal experiences and watching more experienced lineworkers do a job. There’s more than just one way to do this work so I try to pick up as much as possible when it comes to learning from other people. Here in Hartsville, we have a great group of guys who are willing to teach and mentor you. I can’t say enough good things about our crew here.
Challenges in the Apprenticeship
The scope of work can be broad, and it’s helpful to come into a job with some background — which is why lineworker training programs are a great place to get a foundation. Apprentices need baseline skills, some electrical knowledge and safe work practices. They also must have the physical ability required to perform line work. A strong work ethic and the ability to learn in hot or cold environments is crucial. Most days aren’t sunny and 75 degrees.
Evolution of Training
Training has had to evolve with a lot of changes in the industry itself, like newer technologies and different workforce demands. We have a lot more online and virtual learning opportunities now like interactive and virtual reality simulations, whereas in past years most training was on-the-ground. The online training really prepares apprentices for what they’ll encounter in the field before they even get there. We are also expected to stay current with our development and ongoing education and certifications, which is important so we can meet various work requirements. Safety has always been important, but is more important now than ever, and we adhere to strict safety protocols.
Focus on Safety
Safety comes before anything else at Duke Energy — we do everything we can do reduce the risk of injuries. This includes looking out for one another on the job even while working in challenging conditions like storms, heat, cold or flooding. To stay safe, we adhere to the company’s strict safety protocols, we always prioritize communication, stay focused on the job at hand and keep safety number one.
Succeeding in the Trade
To be a successful apprentice today you need to have problem-solving skills, be able to focus on challenges that change daily and be ready to contribute to a team. It is important to show initiative, have consistent work ethic, communicate well and be adaptable when needed. I have always had a strong desire to learn and want to improve my skills, so the line apprenticeship has been a great fit for me personally and professionally. We take pride in ownership of our work at our operations center and as an apprentice, I always seek to better understand the job to do it even better next time.
Advice to Other Apprentices
I encourage other apprentices to show up every day eager to learn, be excited about even the most boring jobs, ask questions and have a positive attitude. They also need to pay attention to the more experienced journeymen on your team, listen to what they have to say and learn new ways to do things. If you’re offered the chance to do something in the field you’ve never done, always take the opportunity. Don’t ever get complacent, thinking you know enough, there’s always something to be improved or learned. Stop when unsure. Learn from mistakes and always keep asking questions.
Demand for Lineworkers
Duke Energy is doing a lot of grid improvement projects across our service areas to improve reliability, strengthen the system and continue to modernize the grid. Lineworkers are going to continue to be a big part of that effort and making sure the company is ready to support the massive population and economic growth we are seeing. This means more underground and overhead services for new houses and businesses, digging in services to new and existing customers, upgrading lines and poles and other work that is going to help create a stronger grid. The demand for lineworkers will keep increasing because we need those skills and talent to get the work done.
Looking to the Future
I got into line work because it’s an evolving industry that can be a lifelong career. Learning definitely never stops, so I see myself continuing to work toward being a more efficient employee and learning to use new safety methods, technologies and equipment in ways that benefit the company and our customers. I’m excited to advance my career and continue to learn new skills while providing an essential service that so many people rely on every day.
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 listen to other stories about apprentices in the line trade, tune in to the Faces of the Future series for T&D World’s Line Life Podcast on Podbean at linelife.podbean.com.
