The Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation (DEMEC) today celebrated the groundbreaking of their Joint Lineworker Training Yard. I had the pleasure of attending this event.
The Joint Lineworker Training Yard is designed to support workforce development and safety training for apprentice and journeyman lineworkers for DEMEC’s municipal member utilities. Phases are planned to include climbing, transformers, substations, bucket trucks, meters, and other trainings.
Local and state officials, federal representatives, other state elected officials, and industry professionals joined DEMEC and its members to celebrate this momentous occasion at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the Smyrna Business Park onsite at the training yard. DEMEC’s training yard will be the only of one its kind in the state of Delaware, offering local, certified training for new and seasoned lineworkers at a 66% savings to member communities.
“As a joint action agency and not-for-profit, DEMEC is always looking for economies of scale opportunities to bring our members additional savings. Safety and education are part of our organization’s core values and lineworkers are the backbone of public power. We are pleased to support our members’ workforce, resilience, and reliability through a diverse training yard,” said Kimberly Schlichting, DEMEC President & CEO.
DEMEC also thanked the Tennessee Valley Public Power Association (TVPPA), Ensales, and their member communities for providing support and donating time and materials to help bring this initiative forward. ...
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