TVPPA was proud to join the Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation (DEMEC) to celebrate the groundbreaking of their Joint Lineworker Training Yard on Tuesday, October 3.
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.
As part of our partnership with DEMEC and Ensales, a manufacturer in the utility and telecommunications industry, TVPPA served as the subject matter experts on the overall design of the pole yard along with supporting the acquisition of materials to build the training facility.
“TVPPA is playing an important role in supporting the public power model nationwide in our work outside the Valley,” said Caleb Hall, TVPPA’s Director of Education & Training. “It was an honor to participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony and we look forward to seeing the outstanding skills of our TVPPA instructors being showcased as we deliver our lineman training programs to DEMEC member lineworkers.”
Local and state officials, federal representatives, state elected officials, and industry professionals also 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.
“The DEMEC Board of Directors is excited to see the training yard coming together after years of hard work by DEMEC leadership and staff. It provides our electric crews with local training that keeps lineworkers close to home and significant cost savings to the community,” stated Morris Deputy, DEMEC Board Chair and Town Manager of the Town of Middletown, “This training yard is the perfect example of the types of value-added shared services DEMEC provides as an integral partner of our community electric utilities.”
TVPPA is thrilled to offer ongoing support to DEMEC by providing lineworker training opportunities to their members. To learn how TVPPA can bring training opportunities like this to you and your community, visit tvppa.com/training.