The Kilgore College Electric Power Technology (KCEPT) program will host a lineman rodeo Friday, Oct. 17, for students who have completed the 10-week certificate program.
Twenty-nine students will compete in the lineman rodeo beginning at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 17, at the KCEPT Training Field, located at 2317 CR 174 East in Overton.
Graduation will immediately follow the lineman rodeo.
Skills demonstrated at the rodeo will include pole climbing, hurt-man rescue and insulator-changing exercises.
The Top Hand Award will be presented to the student who earns the highest overall score in the course.
Other awards will include Most Supportive Teammate, Best Climber and Most Improved.
Lead instructor for the KCEPT program is Todd Ketchum.
For more information on the program, visit www.kilgore.edu/ept.
Graduation candidates, listed by hometown:
Aidan Acker: Rusk, Texas
Cade Adams: Canton, Texas
Brent Beckham: Gilmer, Texas
Bradly Brown: Canton, Texas
Jeffrey Case: Winnsboro, Texas
Sloan Cook: Grand Saline, Texas
Kylan Daniels: Gladewater, Texas
Gary Dyson: Gun Barrel City, Texas
Travis Espinosa: Gilmer, Texas
Michael Fajkus: Pineland, Texas
Brady Hill: Gilmer, Texas
Larry Hudson: DeBerry, Texas
Bradley Jamison: Center, Texas
Colton Jamison: Gilmer, Texas
Juan Jaramillo: Jacksonville, Texas
Skyler Jerke: Lufkin, Texas
Mason Lee: Pittsburg, Texas
Dominick LoPresti: Hallsville, Texas
Kaden Luce: Palestine, Texas
Caleb Martin: Huntington, Texas
Coye McKinney: Elkhart, Texas
Gus Meyer: Elkhart, Texas
Mason Mitchell: Palestine, Texas
Jose Ovalle: Lufkin, Texas
Dakota Ryder: Terrell, Texas
Caleb Shaw: McCook, Nebraska
CJ Shelton: Mount Vernon, Texas
Jayson Shelton: Tyler, Texas
Jase Warren: Athens, Texas
About the training facility:
The training facility, located at 2317 CR 174 East in Kilgore, features four acres and more than 30 training poles with transformers and equipment.
“Our training facility offers a larger area for more extensive training. We are able to offer various levels of training simultaneously to both new students and continued training for the power company personnel in a more real-world environment that meets or exceeds the requirements of electric utility companies,” said Robert Horn, KC workforce-development specialist.
“The overall size of the area along with continued support from the electric cooperatives will put the field on track as one of the top training facilities in the nation.”
About the program:
The KCEPT program features a structured curriculum beginning with basic electricity, covering everything surrounding the electric utility core business—from generation and transmission to distribution. It concludes with specialized, hands-on training with regulators and transformers.
Upon graduation, students are prepared to enter the utility business with a sound foundation that will lead to a successful career as journeyman linemen. With a large number of projected retirements expected within the next five to seven years, electric distribution companies, municipalities and utility companies are anticipating a shortage of skilled workers.
Graduates can earn starting salaries of $18 to $22 per hour.
KCEPT history:
In the early 2000s, a group of safety professionals, operational personnel and general managers from various Texas electric cooperatives met to discuss major issues facing the electric utility industry. One of the biggest challenges was the rapid loss of a highly trained workforce due to retirements. It was predicted that the utilities field would lose 30,000 to 50,000 employees within 10 years — and it did not have the trained workers to replace them.
The group met with several training organizations and learning institutions to find solutions. They ultimately partnered with Kilgore College Workforce Development, forming the KCEPT Oversight Advisory Committee to ensure that the program met the cooperatives’ needs, with safety as its primary focus.
The committee developed a 10-week training program to prepare new employees to fill the gap left by retiring lineworkers.
The KCEPT program began in 2008 and has since graduated more than 400 students representing five states. The committee continues to monitor and update the curriculum, with Kilgore College administering the program.