Month: July 2024

By Virginia Brown

After three years stationed in Guam with the U.S. Navy, Harrison Cochran arrived home. He wasn’t sure what post-military life would look like, but the 24-year-old knew he had a whole career ahead of him.

“I knew I wanted to get into trade work,” Cochran said, “or some type of on-the-job training.”

He considered a welding program, having served as a welder in the Navy. But his father and uncle worked as low-voltage electricians, and they urged him to consider line work.

“They told me that becoming a lineworker was the way to go,” he said.

Then Cochran learned about a lineworker training program at Cape Fear Community College through the Department of Veterans Affairs. It was close to home. Having grown up in Snow Camp, N.C., he was familiar with Wilmington, N.C., where CFCC is located.

Cochran enrolled in the 10-week program, knowing it could set him on a path to a stable career with a competitive starting salary – and at a fraction of the cost of a four-year degree.

“A couple of guys from my high school had gone through the same program,” he said, “and they had all good things to say about it. When I got there, I found that they were right.”

Lineworker careers

Demand for lineworkers is expected to climb by 8.5% by the year 2026, with an estimated 21,500 job openings in 2024 alone, labor statistics show.

Duke Energy hires lineworkers in every stage of their career, from line apprentices to experienced journeymen. Check current openings – or find training for a career in line work – on our website.

Cochran got a job at Duke Energy after graduating from CFCC’s electrical lineworker training program in June 2023. Today, he works on a team of experienced lineworkers, learning how to troubleshoot power outages and make necessary repairs to keep the lights on for customers.

“[Harrison’s] leadership qualities stood out,” said Seth Caison, Cochran’s supervisor at Duke Energy’s Fairfax Operations Center in Greensboro, N.C. “He showed initiative, and presented ideas in ways that would benefit the team, not just himself.”

His journey is hardly an isolated case. In 2023, 41% of Duke Energy’s entry-level apprentice lineworker hires were graduates of the company’s partner community colleges. And many of the line apprentices earn a starting salary of nearly $50,000, plus benefits.

“Much of the existing workforce is approaching retirement, so there’s a critical need for highly skilled workers,” said Isabel Nieto, manager of workforce development at Duke Energy. “We’ve been creative about investing in new talent, relying on our community colleges and other organizations to help ensure there’s a steady pipeline of workers to fill these much-needed roles both at Duke Energy and across the country.”

CFCC’s industry-recognized program is one of more than 20 programs that Duke Energy has invested in across the Carolinas, Florida, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.

“These colleges are closely connected to their communities,” Nieto said. “They broaden our reach to individuals who may have never thought of this career before and help deliver a skilled, diverse pipeline of potential lineworkers.”

Since inception, CFCC has graduated nearly 900 students from the program, partnering with over 15 employers.

“We have great instructors with years of experience,” said Emily Holt, director of Workforce Readiness Programs at CFCC. “Each instructor has 30- to 40-plus years of industry experience.”

In addition to a $200,000 initial startup grant from the Duke Energy Foundation in 2018, Duke Energy continues investments annually through scholarships, smaller grants and marketing. Holt said the company’s name recognition is another leading reason for the program’s success.

“A lot of students feel a pull to work at Duke Energy,” Holt said.

“The company has a really good reputation, and the students come in having heard that it’s a great company to work for. They get excited when they know that Duke is one of our big partners, and it increases the quality of our program.”

CFCC’s lineworker training program also provides students with a commercial driver’s license, or CDL, which allows them to operate utility trucks.

“A lot of schools don’t offer CDL. You have to get it yourself,” Cochran said. “So that was great. It takes the stress off the students by providing that during school.”

In Wilmington, proximity to North Carolina military bases, like Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg) in Fayetteville and Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, is an added bonus for companies that recruit lineworkers.

“Given the focus on safety, teamwork, reliability and responsibility, these roles are very appealing to and a very good fit for former military,” Nieto said. “They have what it takes to be successful.”

Caison agrees. “With [Harrison’s] background as a welder in the Navy, he came in exactly how you would hope every new hire would. He is constantly on top of the work, figuring things out and learning. He has a bright future with the company.”

Cochran thinks so, too. “I’ve been really lucky to find something I enjoy.”

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LINCOLN, Neb., July 2, 2024 /3BL/ – The Auto Club Group (ACG) and the Arbor Day Foundation have launched a partnership that will support a variety of tree planting projects throughout the U.S. These projects include large-scale reforestation efforts in National, State, and other public and private forests, as well as community forestry projects in Chicago and Detroit.

The Auto Club Group is AAA’s second largest and fastest-growing AAA club in North America, serving more than 13 million members across 14 states and two U.S. territories. The projects supported through this partnership are focused on planting 50,000 trees across ACG’s footprint and supporting environmental stewardship in the communities they serve. Many of the reforestation projects aim to help restore ecosystems recovering from disasters such as hurricanes, disease, and deforestation. The community-based projects help support urban forestry efforts to address local concerns of poor air quality and urban heat island effect. Trees are a proven and natural solution to these issues by helping sequester carbon, reduce air pollution, and provide shade and cooling to reduce risk of heat-related illness.

“Our mission, first and foremost, is to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees, and it’s truly inspiring when we get to partner with an organization that is supportive of each part of that mission,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Whether we’re working in forests, cities, or our own backyard, planting the right tree at the right time in the places that need it most is paramount to how we go about our work. We are thrilled to partner with ACG to inspire meaningful impact through these projects.”

The Arbor Day Foundation has worked to plant more than 500 million trees in forests and communities around the world. Through a global network of partnerships, the Foundation facilitates projects that empower organizations of all sizes to reach their sustainability goals via measurable, impactful work through trees and forests. The Foundation has set a goal to plant 500 million trees by June 2027 in the forests and communities that need them most.

This partnership emphasizes The Auto Club Group’s commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) values and the vital role of sustainability in our communities.

“ACG is proud to partner with the Arbor Day Foundation, in effort to enhance green spaces, and promote, advocate, and support environmental stewardship,” said Ken Mathies, Vice President, Chief Diversity Officer of DEI and Sustainability for The Auto Club Group. “This collaboration highlights our dedication to creating a healthier, more sustainable future, and ensuring that our strategic initiatives benefit generations to come.”

Additionally, ACG is granting Arbor Day Foundation memberships to 500 of its employees. This gives them access to a variety of tree education resources, stories and updates from forestry projects, and 10 native tree seedlings shipped to their home and determined by the hardiness zone they live in.

To learn more about how you can also become an Arbor Day Foundation member, visit arborday.org/members.

About the Arbor Day Foundation

Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation is the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. Together with our partners, we have helped plant more than 500 million trees in neighborhoods, communities, cities and forests throughout the world. Our vision is to lead toward a world where trees are used to solve issues critical to survival. Through our members, partners and programs, the Arbor Day Foundation inspires people across the globe to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. More information is available at arborday.org.

About AAA – The Auto Club Group

The Auto Club Group (ACG) is the second largest AAA club in North America with more than 13 million members across 14 U.S. states and two U.S. territories. ACG and its affiliates provide members with roadside assistance, insurance products, banking and financial services, travel offerings and more. ACG belongs to the national AAA federation with more than 64 million members in the United States and Canada. AAA’s mission is to protect and advance freedom of mobility and improve traffic safety. For more information, get the AAA Mobile app, visit AAA.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.