Students at Lake Sumter State College complete Lineworker certification and showcase skills

Published on: Feb 11, 2021

On Wednesday, January 13, five students at Lake Sumter State College climbed their way into the clouds to show off the skills they learned in the six-week lineworker certification course. Undaunted by the height, the students successfully scaled a telephone pole, operated a crane box, and performed a hurt man rescue drill.

The event was attended by local utility companies and contractors, including SECO Energy, Duke Energy, and Team Fishel. This partnership between Lake Sumter State College and these private companies not only helps the students find employment but also helps the companies find certified employees.

Students enrolled in Lake Sumter’s Lineworker course are highly motivated individuals, often completing the lineworker coursework Monday through Thursday and travelling elsewhere to do Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training elsewhere on Fridays. A CDL is often a requirement for lineworkers.

Lake Sumter College hopes to expand their offerings to include a CDL program in the future. Using money from the Federal CARES Act, they broke ground on a new facility in December of 2020. They estimate to be able to accept the first CDL students in April 2021. Currently, students have to travel upward of an hour to get to another CDL training program.

Florida’s Career and Technical Education programs offer students the opportunity to get certified and into the workforce faster, and with grant money from the federal CARES Act, it’s never been more affordable to get certified.  With seven career pathways, hundreds of individual programs and 76 colleges and technical colleges to choose from, there is an abundance of opportunities among many in-demand careers. For more information on how you can sign up for a career and technical program, visit www.GetThereFL.com.