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First class of Power Line Workers graduates from Laurel Ridge Community College

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Power Line Worker grad Bryan Del Cid and Workforce Solutions Program Manager
AnnaJane Whitacre.

Laurel Ridge Community College celebrated the first graduates of its new Power Line Worker Program on Friday morning. Ten students graduated from the pre-apprenticeship course, the only one in the state north of Richmond. They all earned credentials in the following areas:  Commercial Driver’s License, Heavy Equipment Operator, Power Industry Fundamentals, Power Line Worker Level 1, Virginia Department of Transportation Work Zone Flagger – Intermediate, OSHA 10 and First Aid/CPR.

“Developing this program has truly been a partnership – one that proves when businesses and colleges work together we can quickly stand up in-demand programs that help students earn family-sustaining wages,” Laurel Ridge President Kim Blosser told the graduates and their families. “We also wouldn’t have been able to get to this graduation today without the help of our community college colleagues, Southside and Wytheville.”

For the final 3½ weeks of the 14-week program, students stayed near Southside Community College, which has a pole-climbing facility. Dominion and Rappahannock Electric Cooperative sponsored their housing costs.

Laurel Ridge has recently erected a pole yard, and a facility that will allow the college to host the Power Line Worker program from start to finish is expected to be ready within about a year, said Dr. Blosser.

Laurel Ridge Workforce Solutions originally planned to launch the Power Line Worker program in January 2027, said program manager AnnaJane Whitacre. However, the Northwestern Virginia Power & Energy Consortium – focused on developing workforce training programs for the energy industry and made up of the college, Dominion Energy Virginia, Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative, Altec, MasTec, NextEra Energy, NOVEC, Pike Electric, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, River City Construction and Town of Front Royal Energy Services – asked for the program to be ready sooner, leading the first classes to begin in mid-September.

Jimmy Powers, an instructor on loan from Wytheville Community College, said he witnessed the students improve greatly during the course.

“To watch these guys – to start off and go up the pole just a little ways and to actually see some of their legs shaking and knees knocking at the beginning, and then to watch them the last day when they let all the line out and leaned all the way out – that’s success,” he said. “They have a skill now that not everybody in this room has. That’s all because of the people who are here at Laurel Ridge and the passion they have. You’re all going to make some good money, like you’re supposed to. Thank you for allowing me to have the privilege to be able to come here and teach these young men.”

The average starting salary for a Power Line Worker is $70,000, with numerous overtime opportunities, according to Whitacre.

2025 Liberty High School graduate Bryan Del Cid enrolled in the program after Lisa Heiser, a FastForward career coach for Workforce Solutions, visited his school and talked about the course.

“It sounded like a really good opportunity,” he said. “I thought the classes were really good. It was organized and everybody was right on track. Everything was clicking.”

Graduate Dillian Adams is a 2017 James Wood High School graduate.

“I loved it, it was very helpful with all the instructors,” he said. “I took the course to get a career started. I’ve already got a couple people I’ve recommended it to.”

All of the students had interviews earlier this month with representatives from Dominion, NOVEC and River City Construction, Whitacre said, and some have had additional interviews with other power companies.

Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative President and CEO Greg Rogers said he was impressed with how quickly Laurel Ridge was able to launch the program. He said safety and career longevity are important to him.

“I think we all want that,” added Mark DeChristopher, system construction manager at NOVEC. “We want to find the kids who want to be in this industry, not trying it out. When it’s 11 degrees outside and it’s snowing and you’re getting called out, you’ve got to be the right person.”

Rogers said he was happy to have a Power Line Worker training program so close by now.

“These guys have now become lifelong learners through this process,” he said. “They will never stop.”

The Power Line Worker program qualifies for both FastForward and G3 funding. There will be an information session on Feb. 26, with the next class starting in mid-April. To learn more, visit laurelridgeworkforce.com/powerline.
 

 

First class of Power Line Workers graduates from Laurel Ridge Community College