POWERGRAMS

26 It took Western Energizers member Mark White about six years to really get into retirement, spending time at a hunting club and doing whatever else he wanted. That all changed when a longtime friend, Gary Phillips, called White for assistance. The owner of Premier Service Co., Phillips, an electrical contractor, had started an in-house apprenticeship program for plumbers, electricians and heating, ventilation and air conditioning technicians. He wanted to take the program throughout west Alabama. "Gary needed some help getting the idea off the ground," said White, who knew about apprenticeships after serving on an Alabama Power line crew. To that end, White and Phillips met for months, putting "all the pieces together." It was natural that Phillips would call White, an Air Force veteran with a lot of technical experience. During his 40-year career at Alabama Power, White was a lineman and served in supervisory roles in Field Services. Before his 2016 retirement, White helped start the Distribution Operations Center in Tuscaloosa. White and Phillips recognized Alabama's growing need for the trades: Industrial companies coming to the Yellowhammer State seek a skilled workforce and credentials. That need compelled them to create the Skilled Trades of West Alabama Apprenticeship Program, a nonprofit organization. The Alabama Power Foundation provided a grant to help start the school. Their "Jumpstart" program is registered with the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship and the U.S. Department of Labor, stationed in the former Tuscaloosa Center for Technology building. White is still heavily involved. Offering a path to employment On Jan. 2, in coordination with Tuscaloosa City Schools, 30 high school seniors began training that will allow them to enter the trades. This winter, 15 Tuscaloosa high school students will attend in the mornings and 15 students during afternoons. All instructors are tradesmen and experts in their fields. "Teachers who instruct the night classes are still working, sharing what they've learned over the years with these kids," White said. "Before, the school system didn't have a pathway to employment for students they knew weren't going to college. We created this Jumpstart program to equip these guys and girls with the training they need to get hired. Once they're hired and working, they can continue their education to work toward their licensing and credentials." White has received many calls and inquiries from young people who want to attend the program. To qualify as an apprentice, a candidate must work for about three years with a licensed contractor to get the required on-the-job training hours to qualify to take the state licensing exam. "To get someone hired, we've got to make them look head and shoulders above someone who walks in off the street," White said. That's why they started Jumpstart, whose attendees are 18 and attend for 10 weeks, two nights a week, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. During that time, students learn construction math, including taking measurements and reading blueprints. They are introduced to power tools and hand tools; earn Occupational Safety and Health Administration certification; become certified in first aid and CPR; and get an operator's card for scissor lifts. The credentials and training allow students to get jobs with contractors that work with Jumpstart. Once the students are working in a trade, they can return for Jumpstart's apprenticeship program, to begin working on their licenses. "We've had almost 200 students go through the program, and about half are successful or are working in one of the trades," White said. "We furnish all the tools they need to get started, and we give them a pair of work boots so they're ready to go to work." The cost to attend the apprenticeship program is $10 weekly, which covers learning materials. "The beautiful part of that is, if you come in at Year One as an electrical apprentice, complete it and come back for your second year, you get your $520 back," he said. "Essentially, if you return every year, it's free. It's about a three-year program." It costs about $15,000 to attend a two-year electrical technology course at some colleges. At completion, students earn a certificate, but they're still unemployed. White noted that many Jumpstart candidates from two-year colleges "want to get on with things" without spending years on academics. "The end game – No. 1 – is to get you hired, get you working in a trade and making a living, and the second is to help you get whatever credentials it will take for you to further your career, either a plumbing or electrical license or HVAC technician certification," White said. "We don't stop with just getting you a job – we want to take you as far as we can take you." By Donna Cope ENERGIZERS Western Energizer helps 'Jumpstart' careers in the trades Tuscaloosa Distribution Operations Center retiree White has kept busy aiding students. PHOTOS BY NIK LAYMAN PHOTOS BY NIK LAYMAN

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