(WACO, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Lineworker Rodeo is an opportunity for industry professionals to see a glimpse of the future.
The college’s Electrical Lineworker and Management Technology program hosted the event on Thursday, July 10, at the pole yard at the Waco campus. More than 130 students in the first, second and third semesters of the program participated.
Some of the companies represented at the event included Kiewit Corp., Pike Electric Corp., Saber Power Services and Techline.
“Our industry partners are integral in partnering with us to provide our students with a pathway into the Texas workforce,” said Sarah McDonald, a field development officer for The TSTC Foundation. “Our industry partners also provide generous scholarships, which allows us to provide events like this to showcase our students’ skills.”
Industry representatives watched students work in teams to show off their climbing and installation skills. First-semester students took part in a climbing relay race during a simulated “storm” provided by the Lacy Lakeview Fire Department.
Michael Williamson, an area manager at Altec in Houston, said electrical and hydraulics skills taught in TSTC’s Aviation Maintenance, Diesel Equipment Technology, Industrial Systems, and Wind Energy Technology programs translate well into the company’s work that provides services to the electrical utility and telecommunications fields.
“We hope every one of these graduates work for one of our customers and use our products,” Williamson said. “We’re here to show support.”
Vance Brison, director of apprenticeships and learning at Kiewit Corp. in Lenexa, Kansas, said the company has hired past graduates from TSTC’s statewide Electrical Lineworker and Management programs. He said what makes new company employees stand out is their experience in high-voltage work, attention to safety, and soft skills.
“We have had really good success with some of the students that come out of the program,” Brison said. “We have a very huge backlog of work that we’re going to need a lot of linemen to do, and so having a good source of quality candidates is imperative to us.”
Tony Parker, a field supervisor at Texas-New Mexico Power Co. in Clifton, Texas, said the company has donated equipment to the lineworker program and hired some of its graduates in the past. The company’s work involves electrical transmission and distribution services.
For Parker, attending the Lineworker Rodeo is about fellowship.
“It’s good to see a new workforce,” he said.
For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu.