Lineworker Apprenticeship Program (LAP)

Certificate Program

The Lineworker Apprenticeship Program (LAP) provides the education and training necessary to pursue a career in linework. This training introduces the beginning apprentice to the basic math, electricity and alternating current fundamental principles that are the groundwork for understanding the “hows and whys” of this profession. 

You will be exposed to the everyday demands of the jobs and learn the fundamentals required to be a lineworker. You will begin with a pre-apprentice workshop that teaches basic knots and climbing equipment, stringing and sagging wire, underground distribution systems, line maintenance, meter applications, climbing on 40' and 90' poles and more.

After successful completion of the workshop, you will complete four self study units followed by five labs and a final exam. The program is 37 days plus self study time. 

About this Certificate:

Things You Will Learn

- Climbing utility poles
- How to tie knots
- How to use climbing equipment
- How to string and sag wire
- Bucket truck rescue 
- How to operate digger derrick trucks
- Hazards of electricity
- Grounding
- Overhead and underground systems 

Curriculum:

- Pre-Apprentice Assessment Workshop
- LAP Units 1-4
- Digger Derrick Training
- Lab 1: Fundamentals
- Lab 2: Construction
- Lab 3: Operations
- Lab 4: Underground
- Lab 5: Troubleshooting

Additional Information:

Upon successful program completion, enrollees will earn a TVPPA Certificate of Completion. If the participating utility or construction company’s program is registered with the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship, the participant may also earn a DOL Certificate of Completion of Registered Apprenticeship Program.

Individual Coursework

The LAP Certificate program contains an assessment workshop, 4 self study units, 5 labs, and a final exam.

Pre-Apprentice Assessment Workshop
6 Days: Experience the everyday demands you will be expected to handle on the job in this six-day intense workshop. You will learn various aspects of linework with an emphasis on climbing. All climbing tasks and exercises are demonstrated by the instructor. In addition to classroom discussion and hands-on exercises, students are assigned homework and tested extensively.
Self Study Units 1-4
Self study units cover basic tools for linework, working safety, how electricity is generated, protective grounding, three-phase power, distribution and transmission poles, line conductors and connections, system operations, work procedures, and more.
Lab: Digger Derrick Training
3 Days: Learn how to safely and responsibly operate digger derrick and bucket trucks.
Lab 1: Fundamentals
5 Days: You must be a qualified climber and complete the Pre-Apprentice Assessment Workshop to enroll in this lab. Lab 1 covers safety, PPE inspection, grounding, rigging, pole-top rescue, aluminum and copper ties, and minimum approach distances.
Lab 2: Construction
5 Days: Lab 2 covers a variety of skills including: safety, job briefings, anchors, minimum approach distances, overhead construction, sagging, aluminum ties, and cover-up. Prerequisite: Fundamentals Lab 1
Lab 3: Operations
5 Days: Lab 3 covers safety, aerial lift inspection, arc flash hazards, PPE inspections, bucket truck rescue, systems operations, 3-phase transformer theory, and insulation/isolation technique. Prerequisite: Construction Lab 2
Lab 4: Underground
5 Days: Lab 4 covers a variety of skills including URD safety, grounding, cable design and preparation, locating cable, fault finding, URD systems and equipment, troubleshooting, tagging, and installation. Prerequisite: Construction Lab 3
Lab 5: Troubleshooting
Lab 5 covers a variety of skills including troubleshooting techniques, substation, breakers, fuses, regulators, capacitors, instrumentation and metering, safety, hot-line tools, protective devices, regulators, capacitors and single-line drawing. Prerequisite: Construction Lab 4
Final Exam
This comprehensive exam is the final step in completing the TVPPA Lineworker Apprenticeship Program. It includes a written and field skills elements exam. In order to pass you must satisfactorily complete all critical elements and objectives. It is a three-day exam, the first two days consisting of field exams. The field exams include troubleshooting, proper grounding techniques, isolating and grounding. Safety is a major grading point; any safety violations will result in failure of the exam

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