Journeyman Training Programs

[lineman pride]

Just curious if any1 out there knows of any training programs for journeyman lineman? Were looking recertification for rubber gloving, hot sticking, troubleshooting and leadership. I know with the new regs in 1910 and 1926 the burden is on the utility for ensuring that their guys are trained periodicly. We would rather have someone come to our utility rather than go to them. Oh, and would like the trainers to be actual lineman not some consultant with an eng degree teaching it. No offense, its just lineman know what we experaince in the field everyday and have the unspoken respect from the other lineman. Any information would be great. Thanks guys, stay safe.......

[Trampbag]

You have no information in your profile. Where are you??

[Paul]

We use NW Lineman College for training our journeyman and apprentices. They either have come here or we will go there. Weve used other trainers years ago but I cant remember who. I'll look around and see, im not on here all that much but I will PM you with anything I find. NLC is pretty good though. Its all journeyman instructors + their well known and connected in the industry. The main thing is that all their stuff is up to date which is really nice. I think their apprentice program is the largest one used. Where are you from? Do you work for a contractor or utility?

[A Laska Lineman]

Wireman at this time are the only members in the Industry that are required to have or participate in an Journeyman improvement program. I believe it's 16 hours of training every X (1or 2) of years for the wireman. At the Federal (OSHA) level there is no requirement for JL's at this time to improve themselves. Utilities have training for their hands on company time but Construction is very limited because of time and money. The Contractors don't want to send their hands on company time during the week because it lacks production and is a financial burden( wages,pension, insurance,etc.....).The hands don't want to go on Saturday because it's on their own time and they could miss a double time day. No incentive for either. With a changing Industry it would seem that we should have something to help us stay educated,safe and productive. I have tried to have classes but no one shows up because there is no requirement, it's on Company time or it's on Saturday. Unless there is a requirement there is no obligation to have JL upgrade classes or to attend them. There is a Line Construction Foreman class that the National Electical Contractors Association has that is by the Management Education Institute. As for Utilities there should be something available for leadership skills also. I see lots of upgrade classes for wireman and safety education for Utilities but very rare anything for a construction Lineman. It's on the job training or not at all.

[billfoster67]

There is a school for every Alaska Utility. I got a discount and went to Mike Rice's Hot Stick Training School. Some are for metering they have a course catalog, troubleman school, everything a utility needs. HEA, Chugach, and etc. pay dues for that membership. But they don't utilize it. The school was on hard times, because only the members that were close- the utility hands went to every school there. The Alaska utilities have the premier membership, but they never set aside training funds to send any body. I paid for myself and said I was employed by HEA to go to hot sticking school. Got a deep discount.

Its up to the utility to put money away for training and send those boys.

[Apprenticelineman1]

Good point A Laska Lineman. I just got back from a class on OSHA 1910.269 and with the new regs comming out in January of 08 alot is going to change. You can veiw them on the fed OSHA website under the federal registry. Type in 1910.26 or 1926 subpart V

We also use Northwest Linemens College. They do our troubleman, rubber gloving, hot sticking, crew leadership and our apprentice program. Sometimes we go there, either California or Idaho but most of the time because of our shortage of lineman they come here. In that way we break it up so that we always have crews working and availible.