HAMLET — Richmond Community College is one of 11 across the state to recently receive a grant from Duke Energy to support electrical industry programs.
The Duke Energy Foundation announced on Dec. 13 that it was providing a total of $350,000 to the learning institutions in support of programs “to create a pipeline of skilled lineworkers that will help meet the energy industry’s future workforce needs.”
The funds will be used by the colleges for diversity recruitment, instructor stipends, equipment, materials and marketing of their respective lineworker programs, according to a press release.
The foundation awarded RichmondCC’s program $20,000.
“Our college is very grateful for this latest in a long line of Duke Energy’s investments in our students and their futures,” RichmondCC President Dr. Dale McInnis said in a statement. “This generous gift will help our program remain current with new equipment, ensuring our students are fully prepared to safely enter the utility industry.”
RichmondCC’s lineworker program started in November 2018, with the first class graduating in February 2019.
Click here to read about the first graduating class.
Since then, there have been 269 graduates of the nine-week program in 15 classes, an average of three per year, according to Wylie Bell, director of communications and marketing.
“We host a Lineman Expo at the conclusion of each class and invite utility companies to attend and meet with our students afterward,” Bell told the RO on Dec. 2. “It is a great way to connect our graduates with potential employers and allows them to ask questions about career opportunities.”
Many of the graduates have a job waiting for them on graduation day. In addition to Duke, grads have found employment with Pee Dee Electric, Lee Electric, MasTec, Marlboro Electric, Utility Partners of America, the city of Bennettsville, Directional Services, Consolidated Electrical Distributors, Lumbee River EMC, Sharpe Co. and other utility companies, according to Bell.
“Lineworkers play an integral role in a more efficient, more reliable digital grid,” the press release reads. “The company’s investment into lineworker training programs and coordination with community colleges will result in a more diverse talent pipeline for the utility industry.”
Other colleges receiving grants were: Durham Technical Community College ($50,000); Central Piedmont Community College ($48,000); Cape Fear Community College ($45,000); Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute ($40,000); Forsyth Technical Community College Foundation ($35,000); Cleveland Community College ($32,000); Coastal Carolina Community College ($20,000); Fayetteville Technical Community College ($20,000); Nash Community College ($20,000); and Stanly Community College ($20,000).
“Given North Carolina’s tremendous growth, lineworkers are essential to strengthening our infrastructure and allowing our communities to thrive,” said Kendal Bowman, Duke Energy’s North Carolina president. “These grants are one way we can create access to workforce development opportunities across the state, helping ensure our workforce diversity reflects the communities we serve, live and work in.”
According to the press release, Duke has awarded $6.7 million in the past five years “in support of workforce development programs with a focus on the energy sector.”
