Austin Community College-Preparing Occupations for Lineman Education
Nov. 30, 2010
U.S. Department of Energy
Austin Community College Districts (ACC) Preparing Occupations for Lineman Education (POLE) Program facilitates smart grid implementation by providing a pipeline of workers (utility linemen) to enable smart grid functionality and support economic recovery by connecting job seekers with training and employment opportunities. The POLE Program is developing the curricula for a utility lineman certificate and an associate of applied science degree. Courses teach industry- required topics such as: electrical safety codes, climbing skills, power transmission, switching and metering. The curricula are devised by an advisory committee tasked with conducting a systematic assessment of the skills and competencies required for the occupation. The project is also utilizing professional curriculum developers to incorporate these skills into a five-semester utility lineman associate degree and a one-year utility lineman certificate, and to begin recruiting job seekers for the training programs.
