Students soar to the top with RCC’s Electrical Lineman program

Students from the first electrical lineman program at Robeson Community College are soaring to new heights after graduating from the program this fall.

Landon Brown, Mason Floyd, Jaydon Hammonds, Gabriel Jackson, Dylan Jacobs, Brandon Locklear, Scottie Locklear, Silas Locklear, William Locklear, Tristan Lowry, Alec Marcheterre, Blake Prevatte, Joseph Swett, and Mekhi Taylor made RCC history as the first graduates of the lineman program.

The program was established in partnership with Lumber River EMC to meet demand for lineman positions, so that students like William Locklear would not have to travel outside of the county to receive training.

“It was a good experience,” William said. “I liked it and completing the program is going to give me the skills I need to be successful in the field doing linework.”

William says he has received a job offer with Southeast Electric in Spartanburg, S.C and will be attending orientation next week.

“I am going to make $22 per hour and receive $150 a day per diem,” stated William. “I drive to Wilmington, or wherever I am based, and I will work Monday through Thursday.”

“If this is something that you want to do for the rest of your life, then this is a good program to take,” William told us. “The main thing that they teach is safety and everything you need to know to do in the field.”

With a rich history of cooperation between cooperatives and community colleges, introducing the Lineman Program in Robeson County represents a natural progression of this time-honored tradition.

The Lineman Program offers comprehensive training and hands-on experience in the essential skills required for a successful career as a lineman. Participants receive instruction in electrical theory, safety protocols, pole climbing techniques, equipment operation, and more, setting the program apart from others in the State.

For Tristan Lowry, another graduate from the first cohort, the electrical lineman was about more than just gaining hands-on skills, it was truly an honor.

“I have wanted to be a lineman since I was a little boy,” Tristan said. “I like being outside, and it’s nice to be able to turn on power for people that have been without power for a long time.”

Tristan came to Robeson Community College first through the Adult High School program at the COMtech campus.

“Growing up, I had a tough life and went through some things that changed my life,” Tristan said. “These life altering events had an impact on me dropping out of high school… when I was attending COMtech to get my high school diploma, that’s when I learned about the electrical lineman program starting at RCC and it pushed me to complete my work to get my diploma.”

After receiving his high school diploma, Tristan applied to lineman school and was accepted.

“I started the lineman program back in July and it’s one of the best things that I could have ever done for myself,” Tristan said. “After the first week of class, I felt good and felt like this was my calling.”

Tristan has several job interviews lined up next week and is hopeful to begin working in the field soon.

“This program is going to help me become financially stable,” Tristan said. “Completing the lineman program was the biggest accomplishment of my life… it was a good program and I am glad that I was able to be a part of the first class.”

At the conclusion of the lineman program, a rodeo was held to see who was the fastest in a myriad of categories designed to test agility and strength of students. Taking first place in the contest was Jaydon Hammonds, followed by Joseph Swett who took second place, and third place went to William Locklear.

For more information on the electrical lineman program, please contact Dr. Joshua Locklear, the director of NCWorks Customized Training and Workforce Development at 910-272-3680 or jolocklear@robeson.edu. Information is also available online at https://www.robeson.edu/electrical-lineman.

Photo above: RCC President Melissa Singler and Executive Vice President Eric Freeman stand with electrical lineman students (in yellow hard hats) and the judges of the First Electrical Lineman Rodeo held on the campus of Robeson Community College.