Mike Lewis, manager of training equipment and procedures for American Electric Power, said AEP will need to hire approximately 400 power-line mechanics because of retirement and promotion in the next four to five years.

That issue prompted the AEP Foundation to award $58,389 to the Scioto County Joint Vocational School Adult Workforce Education Center as seed money for a power line mechanic program.

As a part of Career Week, next week the public will be invited to media night, Tuesday, from 5-10 p.m., at the SCJVS, when representatives from AEP, Kentucky Electric Power and other companies in Ohio, Kentucky and Michigan will view a demonstration of the skills of members of the first power-line mechanics class at SCJVS.

The program started in July 2006, and the first class finishes up in two weeks.

“We will actually start Monday night, drilling the holes and setting the poles, and once they get that done, we will begin the process of completely rebuilding a transmission line,” said Roy Bennett, evening adult coordinator. “By Tuesday night, they should be hanging the cross arms, installing the insulators and they should begin pulling their primary wiring.”

Bennett said he expected the entire system to be hooked up by Friday, April 13.

Marquita Riepenhoff, grant writer and public relations coordinator, said Diversified Industrial Trainer for SCJVS Nick Johnson, who worked with AEP representatives to develop a power-line mechanic training facility and curriculum, was instrumental in starting the program.

Riepenhoff said students will have or develop skills to go into the workforce in the second year of an apprenticeship program at any company, will have a Class A CDL license, will be a certified pole climber, will be able to set, test and remove utility poles and run overhead service lines and other duties of a lineman.

The next class begins May 7. Anyone wanting information may call the SCJVS Adult Workforce Education Center at (740) 259-5526.

FRANK LEWIS can be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 232.