Today’s line apprentices are tomorrow’s leaders in the electric utility industry. With veteran journeymen linemen nearing retirement, utilities are hiring apprentices to fill their work boots. Following are a few of the young line workers who are following in the veterans' footsteps. Many of these linemen not only work hard in the field, they also have won several awards in competitions, namely the International Lineman's Rodeo held in Kansas City, Kansas, each October.
Their stories vary, but looking at how they got to where they are might help the industry find more workers to keep the lights on.
For more on their experiences and philosophy, see the Lineman's Supplement, soon to be published with the September 2017 issue of T&D World.
Amy Fischbach is the Field Editor for T&D World magazine and manages the Electric Utility Operations section. She is the host of the Line Life Podcast, which celebrates the grit, courage and inspirational teamwork of the line trade. She also works on the annual Lineworker Supplement and the Vegetation Management Supplement as well as the Lineman Life and Lineman's Rodeo News enewsletters. Amy also covers events such as the Trees & Utilities conference and the International Lineman's Rodeo. She is the past president of the ASBPE Educational Foundation and ASBPE and earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from Kansas State University. She can be reached at [email protected].