{"id":6145,"date":"2017-06-06T13:33:58","date_gmt":"2017-06-06T13:33:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nashccnews.com\/news\/?p=6145"},"modified":"2017-08-01T15:55:25","modified_gmt":"2017-08-01T15:55:25","slug":"ncc-offers-unique-training-for-utility-careers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nashccnews.com\/news\/2017\/06\/ncc-offers-unique-training-for-utility-careers\/","title":{"rendered":"Instructors provide unique perspectives in training for utility careers"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"DSC_0738\"<\/a>

Pictured above: Instructors Jon O’Boyle (left) and Brandon Shook<\/p><\/div>\n

Nash Community College offers a degree, diploma and certificate in Electric Line Construction. For nearly 20\u00a0years,\u00a0Nash has been the only college\u00a0in North Carolina to provide this type of training.<\/p>\n

The Electric Line Construction curriculum prepares students for line construction in rural and utility settings through laboratory and practical applications. NCC students master competencies including elements of electricity, overhead pole and electrical line construction, safety codes and applications, electric power system, transformer installations, and more. An emphasis on safety is embedded in the program as\u00a0students earn\u00a0OSHA, CDL and CPR certifications during training.<\/p>\n

NCC Electric Line Construction instructors Jon O\u2019Boyle and Brandon Shook provide unique perspectives for their students. \u00a0Their fathers are NCC professors, and both are NCC alumni.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 2009, I was working for a cable company. Though the pay was very competitive, I wanted more than a job, but a career in which I would find fulfillment. Through my employer, I learned about the electric line career and I thought it was a very admirable profession,\u201d O\u2019Boyle said. However, even with relevant field experience, employers told O\u2019Boyle he would have to complete Nash\u2019s program before they would consider him for employment. Heeding their advice, he entered the NCC Lineman Academy and graduated in 2010. O’Boyle began teaching in the program in 2014.<\/p>\n

Shook graduated from NCC\u2019s Academy in 2005 and spent more than a decade working as a lineman in the field. He cites his desire to help others learn about the profession as his reason for his move\u00a0into academia in 2016. Shook is a third generation community college instructor.<\/p>\n

Both O\u2019Boyle and Shook recall their careers as field linemen fondly, saying the challenges, excitement and comradery of storm work are what they enjoyed most. \u201cIt was great traveling to help other companies, meeting other utility workers, seeing how they do things and ultimately getting people’s power back on,\u201d O\u2019Boyle said. \u201cIt is an amazing feeling to have people come out of their homes and cheer for you when you respond to help them during a time of need.\u201d<\/p>\n

These instructors bring real-world experiences to the classroom. \u201cThe best part about being an instructor is hearing about students after they get hired. When a crew foreman tells me one of our graduates really hit the ground running and is moving up quickly within their profession, it lets me know I did my job as an instructor,\u201d O\u2019Boyle said.<\/p>\n

If someone is considering the program O\u2019Boyle explained they need to be ready for challenging days, mentally and physically, that will prove to be a rewarding experience. \u201cOnce students successfully complete the training, they can go anywhere they want. There is a huge demand for linemen across the industry due to retirement,\u201d O’Boyle said. After completing the NCC program and obtaining a third class certificate, students are ready for an entry-level position as an electric line worker.<\/p>\n

\u201cNCC enjoys strong longstanding relationships with major employers in the utility industry. Employers such as Duke Energy, North Carolina’s Electric Membership Cooperatives, ElectriCities of North Carolina and others often visit campus for training and recruiting, and remark\u00a0that NCC serves as a primary feeder for employees seeking careers with their companies,\u201d Vice President of Corporate and Economic Development Wendy Marlowe said. North Carolina’s Electric Membership Cooperatives were on Nash Community College’s campus recently completing Overhead Line Construction III training on the Electric Line Construction training field. The week-long course introduced energized line work while teaching the proper use of aerial lifts and application of rubber protective equipment.<\/p>\n

\u201cLine Construction graduates have options. They may seek employment with their local municipality or cooperative and be home most nights, or they could travel the country as a contractor building power lines,\u201d O\u2019Boyle said. O\u2019Boyle, of Wendell, is an authorized Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Outreach Trainer, and a graduate of Nash\u2019s Electric Line Construction Technologies Associate Degree program. Shook holds a North Carolina Department of Commerce Journeyman Lineman card, and graduated from NCC\u2019s Electric Line Academy. He resides in Rocky Mount.<\/p>\n

For more information, please call 252-451-8379.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nash Community College offers a degree, diploma and certificate in Electric Line Construction. For nearly 20\u00a0years,\u00a0Nash has been the only college\u00a0in North Carolina to provide this type of training. The… Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3,4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nashccnews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6145"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nashccnews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nashccnews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nashccnews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nashccnews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6145"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/www.nashccnews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6145\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6475,"href":"https:\/\/www.nashccnews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6145\/revisions\/6475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nashccnews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nashccnews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nashccnews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}