Author: Nicol Blanchard
ENTERGY LOUISIANA DONATION & RIBBON CUTTING FOR CERTIFIED LINE WORKER TRAINING AT FLETCHER TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE
SCHRIEVER, LA – Entergy Louisiana, LLC officials today presented a $50,000 check to Fletcher Technical Community College to support the start of the Certified Line Worker Training program. The Certified Line Worker Training Program is a partnership of the Louisiana Energy Workforce Consortium and the Louisiana Community Technical College System.
Recognizing the upcoming need for skilled, trained line workers in the near future, electric utility companies, utility contractors, and technical colleges from across Louisiana have come together to form the LEWC. Graduates of this 16-week program will obtain National Center for Construction Education & Research certification, be qualified for employment as a line helper and receive job placement assistance. LEWC members were instrumental in developing the program’s curriculum and designing the training facilities.
“Entergy Louisiana is pleased to contribute funding to support this initiative. It is a great example of the type of cooperation needed between industry and our educational system to develop Louisiana’s workforce of tomorrow,” said Phillip May, president and CEO of Entergy Louisiana. “We look forward to hiring graduates of this program so they can start rewarding careers in a job that I believe in many ways is the backbone of the electric utility industry.”
Fletcher Chancellor Dr. Kristine Strickland said, “We are excited to offer the Certified Line Worker training at Fletcher Technical Community College. The partnership with Entergy and CEWD in the past months has been a clear demonstration in the ways community colleges and business and industry partners can work together to provide solutions for Louisiana’s workforce and opportunities for the people of Louisiana. Fletcher is proud to be a part of this endeavor and we look forward to continuing to expand opportunities for our community to be trained for high wage, high demand careers.”
Fletcher Technical Community College and Delgado Community College will be the first schools to offer the Certified Line Worker Training Program beginning in January 2018. More information on the program can be found at www.fletcher.edu/certified-lineworker-training-program or by calling 985-448-7938.
LEWC utility partner companies include: Chain Electric, CLECO, DEMCO, Diversified Services, Entergy, SLECA, Terrebonne Parish Utilities, Lafayette Utilities System, T & D Solutions, Willbros T&D Services, Linetech Services and Southern Electric Corporation.