Speaking at the G-20 Labor and Employment Ministers' Meeting today, U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta emphasized his support for fostering the growth of apprenticeships, a major priority for President Trump and the Department of Labor. The secretary's remarks reinforce the White House Office of American Innovation's commitment to increasing the number of quality apprenticeships, including expansion into high-growth, emerging sectors where apprenticeships have historically been rare.

PrimeLine Utility Services, a leading provider of construction, maintenance and design solutions in the electric, gas, and telecommunications industries, selects T&D PowerSkills Hybrid Package: Instructor-led and Learning Management System (LMS), to support their company-wide lineworker apprenticeship and journeyman refresher training program. PrimeLine encompasses over 50 facilities and more than 3,000 employees located across eight subsidiaries. 

The Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Anguilla Community College (ACC) to jointly certify Level 1 and 2 Linesmen Training.  Click here for more information.

 Ever's Electric Company, Inc., located in El Dorado, AR, selects T&D PowerSkills Hybrid Package: Instructor-led and Learning Management System, to help support their lineworker apprenticeship training program. Ever's Electric performs a variety of construction and maintenance jobs including industrial wiring, commercial wiring, pole line installation, electronic and pneumatic instrumentation, fiber optics, and data installations. 

Cleveland Community College, selects T&D PowerSkills Instructor-led courses to support their Electric Systems Technology program. Cleveland CC plans to offer this training as an entry-level electrical lineman program and is targeting about 300 hours of classroom and hands-on instruction.

Butler Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc., located in El Dorado, KS, selects T&D PowerSkills Learning Management System (LMS) to support their lineworker training program. Butler REC supplies electric power to 7,000 meters through 1,850 miles of transmission and distribution lines and owns 13 substations in the Butler, Chase, Cowley, Greenwood, Harvey, Marion and Sedgwick counties located in the Kansas state area.

Two projects will bring low-cost renewable energy to American customers

The U.S. State Dept. has approved nearly $2 billion of high-voltage transmission lines that will bring low-cost Canadian renewable energy to the U.S. The department on Dec. 5 approved construction of the $1.2-billion New England Clean Power Link, between eastern Canada and Vermont, and last month green-lighted the $710-million Great Northern Transmission Line, between Manitoba and Minnnesota.

On April 11, 2014, OSHA promulgated a final rule revising the general industry and construction standards for work on electric power generation, transmission and distribution installations.

Alpena Community College, selects T&D PowerSkills Instructor-led courses to support their Utility Technology program. The program will include two semesters of study in practical theory and hands-on training using actual equipment and materials in classroom, laboratory, and field settings. ACC plans to offer this training in a one-year or applied science associates degree for entry-level line installers and repairers.

Preferred Electric, Inc., a full service electrical contractor in New Iberia, LA, selects T&D PowerSkills Instructor-led courses to help support their new electric utility training program. PEI offers a full range of transmission, distribution and secondary powerline construction and maintenance services. In addition to secondary installations, they have the capability to install fiber optic and other communication cabling systems as well. 

Michels Corporation, one of the largest utility contractors in North America, selects T&D PowerSkills Hybrid Package: Instructor-led and Learning Management System (LMS), to help support their many divisions in on-going specialized education and training. Michels provides services in communications, construction materials, deep foundations, heavy civil construction, oil and gas, power delivery, railway work, renewable energy, sewer and water, and transportation.

Western Colorado Community College, a Division of Colorado Mesa University, selects T&D PowerSkills Instructor-led courses to support their Electric Lineworker Program. WCCC has both an indoor and outdoor facility for hands-on training and plans to cover all areas of line work installation and repair, including effective operation of electric utility equipment. 

Pratt Community College selects T&D PowerSkills Instructor-led and Client-Hosted LMS courses to support their Electrical Power Lineman Program. Pratt will offer a variety of convenient ways to attend classes through their on campus classroom sessions, distance learning and on the job training. The lineman program will be offered at all three campus locations in Pratt, Coffeyville, and Wichita, Kansas, starting in Fall 2016.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has scheduled an informal stakeholder meeting July 13, 2016, in Washington, D.C. to collect information on hazards in the tree care industry. The agency will use the information to determine the need for a proposed rule to protect workers from fatalities, injuries and hazards in tree care operations.

Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA), an enterprise of the Navajo Nation, selects T&D PowerSkills Hybrid Package: Instructor-led and Learning Management System (LMS), to replace their existing apprenticeship training program. NTUA serves approximately 39,400 electric customers throughout the 27,000 square mile Navajo Nation and employs a workforce of around 619 to meet its multi-utility needs.

Wynnewood Refining Company, LLC, a subsidiary of CVR Refining, LP company, selects T&D PowerSkills Instructor-led courses to train their in-house lineworkers on maintaining powerlines that enter the refining facilities. Wynnewood produces nearly 70,000 barrels of complex crude oil per calendar day and has a storage capacity of 6.4 million barrels.

EEI and IBEW negotiated new compliance dates into OSHA’s timeline for enforcement of its updated standard. Among other areas, electric arc protection and FR clothing compliance dates have changed as outlined in EEI’s Exhibit C: 29 CFR 1910.269 and 29 CFR Part 1926, Subpart V–Enforcement dates.