News Photo by Crystal Nelson Alpena Community College Utility Technology Instructor Roy Smith teaches students about electrical theory Wednesday in the college’s Electrical Power Technology Center.

ALPENA — Alpena Community College is offering a summer lineman program that prepares students for a pre-apprenticeship program with Consumers Energy.

Utility Technology Instructor Roy Smith currently teaches 16 students from around the state in four specific areas required by the energy company — electrical theory, energy industry fundamentals, industry safety, and a lineworker physical fitness training.

Smith said the physical fitness training helps students understand the physical requirements of the job.

“When they go to Consumers, one of the first courses they have to take down there is a line worker orientation,” Smith said. “It’s only a three-day climbing course, but it’s eight hours of climbing every day for three days and a lot of people aren’t in condition enough to pass that.”

Students also earn their OSHA 10-hour safety certificate and commercial drivers license when learning about equipment and vehicle operations.

Upon completion of the summer program, Smith said students are able to apply for the Consumers Energy pre-apprenticeship program. If selected into the pre-apprenticeship program, Smith said they would begin a four-year apprenticeship with the company.

Smith said Consumers Energy needs line workers to replace linemen who plan to retire and also to prepare for the future needs of the electrical grid. He said the company plans to expand its workforce from 600 linemen to more than 900 linemen.

Students accepted into the electrical company’s pre-apprenticeship program would likely be employed throughout the state. Smith said some of the closest Consumers Energy service centers are in Tawas, Boyne City, and West Branch.

Additionally, Smith said the energy company has also renegotiated the wage for step-one apprentices to over $40 an hour.

If the students are not selected to be in the program, Smith said the commercial drivers license still gives them a way to earn an income while they wait to get back into the college’s utility technology program. Smith said the program is full for the fall 2021 semester as well as 2022.

There were more than 300 applicants to the college’s utility technology program this year, according to Smith, but the college was only able to accept 60 students. He said the summer program was offered because of a partnership the college has with Consumers Energy, but also to try to lessen the number of students on the waitlist.