Louisiana
Earn a two-year degree in Louisiana.
You can earn a two-year degree in utility line work in Louisiana. You will need to take classes in math, physics, safety and first aid, electrical theory and electrical code. You can take these classes at a community college or a training center. Once you have completed the two-year degree program you will have an advantage when seeking employment over other job candidates who do not possess this degree, but it is not necessary to obtain this level of education before entering this field.
Apply for an apprenticeship with an electric utility company or a telecommunications company in Louisiana.
If you’re interested in becoming a utility line worker in Louisiana, you should begin by applying for an apprenticeship with either an electric utility company or a telecommunications company. You can find the application on your preferred utility company’s website. Once you submit your application, you will be contacted to schedule an interview and aptitude test.
Working as a utility line worker at a power or telecommunications company offers benefits such as health insurance; retirement packages; tuition reimbursement; paid vacation time; and even free cable! As of May 2014, the average annual salary for a utility line worker was $61,870 according to O*Net OnLine.
Additionally, there are several training and education opportunities available to aspiring utility workers. There are 1-2 year certificate programs available at community colleges throughout Louisiana including SOWELA Technical Community College (Lake Charles), Bossier Parish Community College (Bossier City) and Northshore Technical Community College (Hammond). All three of these colleges offer electrical technology certificates that are useful for pursuing work as a utility line worker.
Complete on-the-job training and required classroom instruction.
You will receive on-the-job training. You must also complete all required classroom instruction, which includes:
- Learning how to inspect and maintain poles, towers, and equipment
- Learning how to read blueprints and maps
- Learning how to operate tools and equipment safely
- Learning about safety regulations and procedures for working with power lines
- Learning about the operation of distribution systems located at substations
Succeed on the job and apply to become a journeyman.
As a Utility Line Worker, you’ll gain the skills needed to work in any industry that deals with power lines. Electricity plays an important role in everything we do, so having skillful people working on electrical systems is crucial to our community.
Once you complete your training, you’ll be able to apply for a job as a journeyman Utility Line Worker. Journeymen make an average of $18/hour and are responsible for working with high-voltage electricity. You will also be able to prepare for licensure if you’re interested in doing that later on down the road.
After completing your apprenticeship program, it can take anywhere from 6 months to 3 years or more before you become eligible to take the journeyman exam and get hired full time. Your employer will help monitor your progress and give you guidance along the way.
Pursue advanced training opportunities to build your skills and further your career.
Utility line workers can take advantage of advanced training opportunities to build their skills, further their careers and stay sharp. Advanced courses include:
- High angle rescue, technical rescue or utility work.
- Learn how to be a safety officer for your company or department.
- Learn about new technologies and tools available in the industry.
Meeting this training, licensing and testing requirements will help ensure you succeed as a utility line worker in Louisiana
You will want to make sure you meet this training, licensing and testing requirements in order to work as a utility line worker.
- Louisiana offers some training and apprenticeship opportunities for budding utility line workers through its community colleges and training centers.
- The electric utility companies in your area, or the telecommunications companies you would like to work for may also have training programs.
- After enrolling in a program of your choice, you will need to pass the required tests before you can start working as a qualified utility line worker in Louisiana.
The benefits of being a qualified utility line worker are competitive salaries, good insurance benefits and retirement options. The average salary for an experienced utility line worker is between $49,000-$73,000 per year (salaryexpert).