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pole cat wanna be
09-05-2006, 03:45 PM
Does anyone have any info or been to FPL's apprenticeship program?Is it worth the time and what are your chances of being hired by FPL or anyone?Also,how long does it take from initial contact with FPL until you go to oreintation to climbing school?I was also looking at going to Southeast Lineman Training Center and would appreciate any info on that school also.I am 41 yrs old,have recently sold a business that I was in for 25yrs.I have 4 friends who are lineman and they really like their jobs and that is what has perked my interest.Any info would be really appreciated.I am in the Miami area(lucky me)

danbutter
09-05-2006, 10:32 PM
Read my post in this thread before you consider the SELCAT:

http://www.powerlineman.com/lforum/showthread.php?t=2010

I can't help you with FPL at all though.

pole cat wanna be
09-06-2006, 11:50 AM
Thanks Dan. Yeah,selcat doesn't really fit for me either.I also have a wife and 2 kids that i'm sorta fond of.If they could gaurantee work a little closer I wouldn't mind.

lineman641
09-06-2006, 07:46 PM
all the info is already here ..just search and read

flhdawg
09-07-2006, 08:44 PM
has anyone posting on this site ever attended to the Southeast Lineman Training Center ....it looks good on the site but was wondering if it was worth the money..thanks for any info

danbutter
09-09-2006, 12:22 AM
has anyone posting on this site ever attended to the Southeast Lineman Training Center ....it looks good on the site but was wondering if it was worth the money..thanks for any info


no personal experience, but I read this in another section of this forum:

"Posted by Graduate student from Southeast Lineman Training Center
I just graduated from the Southeast Lineman Training Center in Trenton Georgia. Just to let all know, the school was over priced. Second issue at hand was the school lied about the job offers given to students; out of 55 guys only 4 problem got a job from the school. The rest was left screwed without any job and a fat bill to pay back. Furthermore, the tools that they sold you along with the boots were way more than what you could pay just buying it straight from J L Matthews. The boots you pay 300.00 for cost only 199.00. THE TAG WAS RIGHT IN MY BOOTS!!! If you want to start a career as a lineman go somewhere else...TRUST ME!"

HTH!

pole cat wanna be
09-09-2006, 11:22 AM
Well that answers that I suppose.He definately was not happy and that is a lot of money to spend and not get hired on.

wstxpwr
09-09-2006, 05:50 PM
Why would you want to pay someone to train you? When there are good companies out there with top notch app. programs who will train you and pay you at the same time. Just look around youll find the right place. I was 38 when I started 4 1/2 years ago as an app. it can be done. Hold out for FPL if thats what seems right.

flhdawg
09-09-2006, 07:55 PM
Great point....only problem is finding a company in the area you live in I guess.....

pole cat wanna be
09-11-2006, 12:15 PM
FPL difinately seems right. I just thought if you had some training you might get ahead of the line a little. I don't want to waste any money on a school that won't help. WESTXPWR is right ,though.I think FPL will call eventually.Like I said earlier,I have 3 friends that work for the power company and really like it.I guess I'm impatient.I'm ready to get going right now.I do like the idea of being paid while you learn.So does my wife.

damn_encode
09-12-2006, 01:46 AM
I am a just a 1st step apprentice with a line contractor & I did not go to a vocational school. In my opinion I think that it is not necessary to go to school to get your start with a contractor but with a utility or a muni it would definitely help get your foot in the door. If you read the experience requirements on the job postings you will notice that they usually require 1-2 years work experience or certificate of completion from a line college. I think that most line schools are great because you can get "certified" in a number of areas including: Pole Climbing, First Aid, CPR, Flagging & usually you will be able to get your Class A CDL. All of these certifications are important not only so you can do your job to the best of your ability, but also in your case to be able to compete for one of the highly coveted utility apprentice positions. Good luck with trying to get on with a utility, even though there is a high demand for line workers there are hundreds of people who test at the utilities every time they open their doors and the utility has the advantage or picking the cream of the crop and places everyone else on the “list”.

I don’t want to discourage you from trying to get on with the utility, by all means prepare yourself, put on your game face and test with the rest of the boys. Just don’t wait for them to call you if you don’t get a job right away. I would recommend that you find a “safe” contractor and get started immediately on your career. Get enrolled in a apprentice program and start moving forward. I believe that as a Journeyman you will be able to get a job anywhere you want, but as an apprentice if you don’t want to wait you have to put forth some effort and find someone who will hire you as a ground man & earn your apprenticeship position.

As far as having a family and working on the road….it sucks. Its not easy, its not always fun and your family suffers because YOU want to be a lineman. You have to be comfortable with these facts. I haven’t seen my wife and children since May 24th but in a couple of weeks I hope to be in the position to move them halfway across the country to the job and we will be back together again. If the apprenticeship was easy there would be no shortage of linemen and we would not command the wages that we get as Apprentices and Journeymen.

Be careful in deciding whether you should go to line college on someone’s opinion. In a class of 50-70 students I would imagine that 1/3 to ˝ of those could end up being sub/standard for any number of reasons. I believe that in trade school as in life you will get our of it what you put in to it, most people are more concerned with what the school can do for them, instead of how they can use their schooling to better themselves. You have to invest yourself in your education and in looking for your apprenticeship or it will go to the guy who wants it more. Go to the school, visit the campus, talk to the instructors….half of getting started in this career is educating yourself and confidently deciding on your own where to go from there.

Holy Crap!

Sorry For The Novel……Good Luck

pole cat wanna be
09-12-2006, 10:49 AM
Thanks for the advice.I agree about trying to educate myself and using that to better myself.FPL schooling is almost a year long.I figure if I can finish in the top 5% or better I would have a shot.My kids are older now so moving around wouldn't be too bad.I have been in the same job for 25years and seeing new territory wouldn't be so bad either.I'm a pretty determined person and when I set my sites on something I usually get it.I just want to make sure I'm going about this the right way.Thanks again and be safe.

Hurricane Harry
09-13-2006, 10:20 AM
Why don't you try the city of homestead? The have a line department, it is a small city owned utility. I worked there back in the 80.s and they had a fine app. program. Same local as fpl.

pole cat wanna be
09-13-2006, 10:39 AM
Thanks Harry.I have a friend who is in his 4th year at Homestead.They are actually hiring journeymen right now.I thought about getting on with the city and waiting for an apprenticship spot to open.That is what my friend did.Homestead is definitely a good option.I live in Homestead also.Thanks for the advice.

OLE' SORE KNEES
09-17-2006, 04:38 PM
You are better with the city for retirement, I know a man that has 23 years with fpl and they have $67,000 in pension for him, not that good really, I know some people that have went with cities over the years and are better off, good luck !!!

pole cat wanna be
09-18-2006, 11:54 AM
I never really thought about that. I was always under the impression that FPL had a good retirement.Either would be fine with me. I'm just waiting for the call so I can get started at training and get moving.

49pan
09-23-2006, 02:49 PM
If you can get into another program you will probably be better off. FPL has a tendency to jack you around. They will tell you that climbing school is next month then tell you sorry it's been canceled we are not sure when it will be. I now people that have waited for a year to go to climbing school ( that I help teach ) they pass, pay the money go to school for 10 months unpaid, fail 1 test or the interview and SEE YA!. If you decide to go to FPL you will need to go through Miami Lakes Technical Institute. As far as I know new hires have no pension or insurance when it comes time to retire. I have been with FPL for 24 years and as far as I am concerned it is time to go. I hope everything works out for you, being a lineman is one of the most satisfying jobs you could ever have.

lineman641
09-23-2006, 07:06 PM
:confused: hey span; your pretty much right on. the Miami lakes school for ap class is $2500 with no guarantee for nothing. they where targeting high school kids but from what i here that took a shit quick. we have not had a employee handbook in over 8 years but i think now it takes 20 plus years to earn a pension if you are post 97 employee and they will give $8500 cash payment toward medical for the same. moral is shit all across the board except the ceo and managers. our guys are bailing out left an right and still no plan to fill the void. oh well, this company is going the way of all the others. when they finally figure it out it will be to late. I for one am losing hope for a worthy trade that is going the same as the rest of this country,down the shitter.i hope i am wrong

49pan
09-23-2006, 07:27 PM
I have 24 years with FP&L and looking to get gone. As 641 says moral is S@#T and all the journeyman I know are ready to bail, myself included. Going to SDG&E for interview next month. If you get to a yard for your apprenticeship there are no foreman or lineman left to sign your demos all the good ones already left, not to mention they are contracting out all the good work.

pole cat wanna be
09-25-2006, 10:25 AM
Thanks 49,do you know Carl Greer.He's a good friend of mine and teaches at Miami Lakes.He said the same as you,that morale is crap.But he told me he loves the work and the job is very satisfyingand gennerally you work with good people.I'm already finding out about being ''jacked around'',my friend said they are behind on budget and don't expect to hear anything until Febuary or March.That is a good time to go to climbing school,not to hot.The one thing I don't like is that after all the climbing and 2500 dollars for school there is no gaurantee for a job.Maybe another company will hire me after all that?I do not really like south florida,but my family is here so I will make do ok.This place has gone down the crapper and all the good people have left Dade county.I'm leaving a job of 25 years that I cannot stand so I'll put up with quite a bit just for a chance at being a lineman.Thanks for your input and work safe.

49pan
09-25-2006, 05:09 PM
I have known and worked with him for a while. Hope I helped, Good luck with whatever you do

futureMIAlineman
09-29-2006, 03:10 AM
:mad: ...WoW!...What a start from a company that I plan (can change to planned ) to work for. I was supposed to start climbing school on July or August. As told by Mrs.____ @ Miami Lakes 57th Ave. T&MC. After countless e-mails and messages I get a response that read, "Nothing has changed since our last scheduled announcement"-said mid August. So now September and still no updates. So I guess im supposed to WAIT for a call. Maybe it's a sign of a company that doesn't gives 3 fuqs about its employees and is trying to warm up future workers to their crap.
On a previous post I read that they planned to have the climbing class next year...Is that concrete???...thx :mad:

pole cat wanna be
09-29-2006, 01:03 PM
Nothing in concrete,just what I heard from a instructor at the climbing school.

King Kong
09-29-2006, 03:20 PM
You will get paid as you learn to become a jourenyman lineman, And at the end of time you will have a ticket saying so and you could go any where to work with it if you please, That what I'm doing, Plus I have buddies who top out in the selcat Program and went on to work for F.P.L and then quit F.P.L cause they didn't make the same money as they did working for contractors and they didn't have to put up with the bullshit that comes along with working at F.P.L. What ever you do good luck and stick with it

49pan
09-29-2006, 06:53 PM
I do understand there is a climbing school after the first of the year, it's on my schedule to teach anyway. As we all know it is subject to change, hope not. If you decide to go with the FP&L program and stick with it you can make it work for you. Get your ticket and move on to bigger and better things. I'm just sorry it took me so long to decide to leave. If you make it to climbing school put 49 on your name tag and I will talk to you on the side, if not good luck.

walkingtall
09-29-2006, 08:38 PM
If you're thinking about fpl, think about other places , I put in a few years there and now I am elsewhere,I call a few fpl lineman I know from time to time.Thier budget comes and goes,meanwhile the ceo makes more millions ...............they do more with less -of a workforce than ever, from what I hear morale is way down ever since the cutbacks,the state is growing more than ever but line-staffing is now less than they had in 1993, some lineman ,they tell me if you need a pair of kliens a supervisor has to look at them and TELL YOU if they need replaced or not ????? Tramp on Brother,Tramp on...there is too many options out there for lineman today to mess with this kind of work environment, I can tell you from the places I've been :),it is better !!!

pole cat wanna be
10-01-2006, 10:12 PM
Damn,things are that bad at FPL?I always thought that was one of the top companies to work for in Florida.Like you said,I guess all that $$$ runs up hill.I would like to try selcat but I would like to work close to home,not in another state.I think I'll try for FPL climbing school and training and when I get hired I'll try to make it a better company to work for.YEAH RIGHT!!!Anyways,I'll keep checking my e-mails and hopefully will get something going soon.The Southeast Lineman Training Center doesn't seem to be very popular around here.I may vist their campus in October but still think FPL is the way to go.Thanks for all Y'alls help and stay safe.Maybe one day I'll see you 'out there'.

pole cat wanna be
10-01-2006, 10:20 PM
Thanks 49,I'll remember that if I ever get the call.I'm ready to get moving if you know what I mean.What do you think about The City of Homestead to work for?Or maybe a Irby?I don't know many private companies that do this sort of work.Anyway ,thanks for your help and maybe we'll see each other next year at climbing school.Remember ,I'm an old guy so take it easy on me.

49pan
10-04-2006, 03:29 PM
NO Irby !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Homestead not bad, Not sure but they were 20 and out. That's a question you would have to ask them. One of my old lineman went thru Homestead, DAMN good lineman. Talk to ya

Delta976
10-12-2006, 09:47 AM
IMO Avoid FPL's Training program. I've been to it. You will spend a year w/o getting paid just to start at a first step. If you have another job to get you by don't think you will be cut any slack if you are ever late. 1 mistake and you are done. If someone doesn't like you.. you're done. No matter how good you are. You also will have to pay about $2500 just to be in the program. After the year long class you are on probation for 6 months, which doesn't sound bad but any mistakes and you're done. out of 20 people 5 of the top 50% of the class was kicked out (myself included) for reason like this. I got stuck in traffic called in to tell them that there was a bad accident and I'm going to be 15 minutes late. They tell me "no problem" I get there and they tell me I have to leave. Another guy they walked up to him and said "You're just not getting it, You have to leave" even though he got all b's and c's. Meanwhile much of the class cheats off each other and really has no idea what goes on. (I heard 2 more of them are going). Sound like someone you really want to work for?

pole cat wanna be
10-24-2006, 10:49 AM
Thanks for your input delta.No, that doesn't sound like someone I want to work for. How long were you in the class for?

Notfit4duty
10-30-2006, 08:18 PM
Look... if you are willing and able to sacrifice 1 year out of your life, and put up $2400 and a lot of bs, is the only way to get into fpl's app program. (unless you already work for the company) And being only a 2 1/2 year program and with only 1 1/2 of that in the REAL world, you loose a lot of experience, cause thats where you do about 80% of your learning. not saying, not to do the program, im saying if you can travel outside the state you might be better off. if not, its probably one of the better ways to go. just be prepared for bs and subject to change.

pole cat wanna be
10-31-2006, 01:27 PM
I have no problem with the $2400 and I've put up with more BS than a man should have to in 10 lifetimes.I don't really want to move out of state as my wife has a very good job here.Like I said before,I just want to get started to see if I'm wasting time or not.Time I have plenty of,but it's starting to run out.Thanks for your input.I hope my phone will ring soon.

tramp@powerco.
10-31-2006, 07:35 PM
Come on entry-level grunt :D we'll see what you can take or not...chances are the "not".......LOL

pole cat wanna be
11-02-2006, 11:20 AM
Hey Tramp, I ain't scared,if I was scared,I'd tell you I was scared LOL I just wanne see what I can do.Be safe.

futureMIAlineman
01-11-2007, 10:20 AM
I posted this in another post, but decided to post here also since this is where I most remember the interest being. ...I was called yesterday from the T&MC/MiamiRedRD@FPL about the upcoming climbing class. Any advice on climbing will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

polecat...have you been informed?

49'r.... will you be teaching the next class? I recalled you previous posts here about you being an instructor.

Doggboi
01-11-2007, 12:31 PM
Any advice on climbing will be greatly appreciated. Thanks



Keep your pecker away from the pole, use your legs not your arms, and lock your knees.

Some of our guys have found out the hard way how those 3 simple things can save you pain.

49pan
01-11-2007, 05:29 PM
Yea I'll be there, I put a responce on the other note you put on.

Maple989
01-24-2007, 01:29 AM
49PAN

I am set to start climbing school in March, I just want to be sure they wont cancel classes this time around. I have alot of friends that waited a long time for it. I work in the care center for FPL, and I cant deal hearing 100 problems a day over the phone for customers anymore haha. What are your thoughts on the classes coming up? Think they will go through or not? Any info is greatly appreciated. Also, are you slated to help instruct the March class?

Thanks,
Maple

49pan
01-24-2007, 03:01 PM
All I can tell you is the class is scheduled for march, everything is subject to change. I think you will be OK. FPL wants to get 3 or 4 climbing schools done this year so they need to stick to the schedule. I will not be involved in the March school, but I may be able to do a fly by. If I can help you in any way let me know. Hope everything works out for you, good luck.

Maple989
01-24-2007, 06:36 PM
Thanks for the info, I am in pritty good shape at 23 and doing alot of cardio and stair master lol, I hear that most people do not pass the 3 weeks, so I just want to be as ready as I can be, mentaly too. Ive read all the tips on the forums. What do you think is the hardest thing about the school? and do you think that most people will pass or fail these classes coming up?

Maple

49pan
01-24-2007, 08:04 PM
Nobody fails.Some are asked to explore their options, most just relize this is not for them and head it to the house. As far the hard part, it's all of it. Pay attention, keep your head in the game and a positive attitude. Don't let the BS get to you, everything that is done is done for a reason. It sounds like you are in the correct frame of mind, I think you will do fine. Good luck

Maple989
01-24-2007, 08:47 PM
Thanks for responding to my questions so quick, all I hear are things from within the care center, nice to get other views. I am sure I will pass the school. :D

Maple

Maple989
01-31-2007, 04:53 PM
I guess I will be seeing you Feb 5th, They bumped me up to the first class, see you there.:cool:

Maple

49pan
01-31-2007, 05:55 PM
Good deal, sounds like you got your s@#t together. The first day is long and boring, eye test and fitting tools. Don't know if you have your own, if you do bring them. Same for the climbing boots, if not no sweat we will supply you with everything you need. All you really need is ambition and a good attitude. See ya Monday