On December 5, 2014, the NEPPA Apprentice Lineworker School graduated a class of nine lineworkers. Throughout the last four years, the class studied the Northwest Lineman College curriculum, which covers 10 work-related topics each year. Each subject is presented by NEPPA Instructor Steve
Socoby and an exam is then taken for each topic. A score of 70 is needed to
pass the exams and the entire class of apprentice students passed all of their
tests. Each week a series of practical exercises related to the classroom work
was also presented in the outdoor pole yard and inside the training facility to
make the lessons more relevant. These
exercises include pole climbing, pole top and bucket rescue, rigging, conductor
cover-up, and 3 phase transformer connections, to name only a few of the skills presented
that each lineworker surely will face as they continue their careers.
Safety is always emphasized as the primary consideration for each lineworker and is a must while working in the pole yard. Pole top and/or bucket rescue are practiced at almost every class to ensure each student will be ready to perform a rescue if the need ever arises. On the last day of class a graduation luncheon was enjoyed by the apprentices and supervisors followed by a presentation of Certificates of Completion from Northwest Lineman College and from Northeast Public Power Association.
