How to Achieve Your Dream of Becoming a Georgia Lineman
A future that exceeds all your expectations awaits you in this life-changing career. All over the country, there has been a growing demand for professional Electricians and Linemen. The population of the state of Georgia and the climate conditions make it an appealing place to live. To top it off, Georgia really honors their lineman with appreciation days and even specialty license plates.
Where Do You Start?
The process can be fairly straightforward. First, you can enroll in a Georgia Electrical Lineman School or an Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) training center in over 50 locations all over the United States. However, you must not only acquire the adequate education, but you must also be instructed by experienced professionals to attain job skills. Learning about the electrical field after obtaining a high school education begins with professional training.
What Happens After Training?
The training does not end with formal education in the class, there are also practical paid apprenticeship-based education. In apprenticeship training, you have full access to top-notch equipment and apparatus in the training facility. The Institute pays you well during the training period, and you will not be in any debt after the training. In building your career, build your expertise up with this solid training base and launch out into the open market that is willing to absorb outstanding students with priceless practical experience.
Alternatively, the Georgia Electric Membership Corporation, EMC in collaboration with the Northwest Lineman College also offers an EMC Apprentice program. This program is well-organized and loaded with exercises and hands-on experiences that can equip you for a successful career. Finally, either way, you must acquire the Electrical Lineworker Apprentice Certification (ELAC) as a critical requirement to land the job.
The Lineman Development Program (LDP) is also an extensive training program developed to bring together the classroom, on-the-job and outstanding skills training to build a career towards becoming a Journeyman Lineman with the Georgia Power.
Jobs and Salaries
Many jobs in the Lineman career require a mechanical and electrical aptitude that can be obtained from a variety of industries. You must develop a proactive mindset to be a good fit for the job. You have to have the confidence to scale a pole and teamwork skills. Generally, most jobs in this career require a driver’s license. You may also be required to take some pre-employment tests to prove your abilities. Remember also to be physically fit with body weight, not more than 270 pounds. You can get yourself into the A Lineman, B Lineman or C Lineman Class skill positions depending on how convincing you are and other factors mentioned here later. Class C is the entry point.
At entry, new hires might get a monthly salary offer of about $3,383, which is approximately $40,596 per annum. However, on the average, the annual expected basic wage as of the end of May 2018 is in the tune of $74,005 per annum ($69,108 – $75,850 range). In addition to this, there are fringe benefits including bonuses and allowances. This range may vary by industry, location, years of experience, level of education or company size and whether it is union or not.
It’s time to begin. Take the bold step in building a successful lineman career!