Nash Community College this year recognized 22 electric cooperative linemen for completing advanced education work in the college’s Electric Lineman Technology program. The 22 men earned advanced certificates for completing 17 college-level credits.

The program includes courses in the classroom and outdoors on a specially-designed training field built by the North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives. They learn skills such as overhead line construction, underground line construction and the National Electrical Safety Code. Beyond classes in line work and energy management, they can take courses toward an Associate Degree ranging from writing and math to critical thinking, computers and communication.

Since the program began in 1998, 17 co-op  linemen have graduated with an Associate Degree. The community college program is supported entirely by the cooperatives but is also attended by linemen from Duke Energy and the municipal electric systems. In 2015, 331 students enrolled in the Electric Lineman Technology program.

Listed to the right are co-op linemen who completed the work in 2015.