Middle skill jobs are one of the fastest growing segments of the workforce. Experts say they represent about 43 percent of the job market. That’s why a partnership between two Tampa Bay Chamber members is being described as a gamechanger in the electric utility industry. Tampa Electric and Hillsborough Community College have launched the Electrical Line Worker Training Program on the HCC Brandon Campus.
“We’re seeing longtime employees retiring and fewer folks getting into the skills trade,” said Chip Whitworth, Vice President of Electric Delivery for Tampa Electric. “This project will help us create a workforce that ensures our customers will have electricity for generations to come. Every student who successfully completes the program will be encouraged to interview with Tampa Electric for an entry-level line worker position. Together with HCC, the Tampa Electric family is very proud to help students enter a powerful career and one day, help keep the lights on!”
Complete with what looks like a pole farm on the west corner of the campus, the four-month training program addresses workforce shortages in the utility industry and the need for job creation at the middle skill level. These are jobs that require more than a high school education but less than a four-year college degree.
To start, 12 standard electrical poles have been installed – each one is approximately 40-feet high. Students’ hands-on experience will be limited to the 3 – 4 feet heights until the last month of class. While none of the mock poles are connected to electricity, TECO will be installing mock transformer pads, a bucket truck, a line truck, plus five more poles four feet high.
“Tampa Electric has been an amazing partner, from curriculum development to sourcing for talented instructors to the development of our mock pole yard,” explained Ryan Buckthorpe, Director of the Institute for Corporate & Continuing Education at HCC. “This is one of the best examples of an industry-educational organization partnership that I have had the opportunity to be a part of.”
Students must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or the equivalent to be eligible for admission. TECO will offer a $6,500 scholarship for those who qualify. Students completing the Electrical Line Worker Training Program will also have earned industry required certifications of the OSHA 10-Hour, Bucket Truck Rescue, Pole Top Rescue, CPR & AED, and First Aid. Electrical line workers install, remove, maintain, and repair high-voltage and low-voltage distribution lines and associated equipment and facilities. TECO’s entry level trainee positions start at $26.98 per hour, and all students of this program at HCC will have the opportunity to apply. Nationwide, the average salaries for a lineman range between $53,000 - $115,000 depending on work experience.
For TECO’s Vice President of Electric Delivery, the new training program has extra meaning because he attended Hillsborough Community College before earning his Civil & Structural Engineering and Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of South Florida. “The program will be a game-changer for those looking to kickstart their careers in the electric industry,” said Whitworth. “Our contributions of scholarships and program equipment mean that more folks who couldn’t afford this training before can now pursue their dreams. This program gives students a head start and it gives Tampa Electric one too.”
Speaking to a crowd of supporters gathered on campus during the July 26 ribbon cutting that gathered Dr. Ken Atwater, President of HCC; Dr. Deborah Kish, Brandon Campus President; and three of the other Campus Presidents, the Tampa Bay Chamber’s Vice President of Member Engagement, praised the partnership on workforce development as one more way business and community leaders can be a catalyst for growth in the region. “This partnership between TECO and Hillsborough Community College exemplifies what can be achieved when employers and academic institutions work together to develop solutions to address workforce needs. This program not only provides a skilled-talent pipeline for TECO, it also builds economic pathways for members of our community,” said Katie Lopez. “The Chamber was built on the belief that responsibility for the greater good of the community is at our core and, as partner members of the Tampa Bay Chamber, TECO and HCC are ensuring that Tampa is a place that we can be proud of, where our businesses and our community members succeed.”
About the Tampa Bay Chamber: Our Chamber has been serving the region since 1885. A not-for-profit membership organization, it currently serves approximately 1,400 member companies of all sizes and industries and is among the 2% of chambers in the nation with a 5-star rating by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Workforce Development initiatives are foundational to the Chamber’s work in the region as a catalyst, a hub for business and inclusive organization. The Chamber’s Workforce Development Committee advocates for educational initiatives and partnerships with the business community to support workforce development in the Tampa Bay area. To learn more about the Work Redefined Series and other workforce development initiatives, visit https://www.tampabaychamber.com/pages/workforce-development/