POWERGRAMS

17 associate degree in applied science. The two programs, which are divided into four six-month modules, offer a mix of hands-on and classroom training. "The classes are 60 percent hands- on and 40 percent theory," said Mark Franklin, Southern Company training supervisor and apprentice program coordinator. "During the first year, employees learn the theory and the industrial math fundamentals. By the time they get to the second year, that's when they begin applying those fundamentals." During a typical month, employees spend one to two weeks at the training center and then return to the plant to apply the skills they have learned, Franklin said. While the skills taught vary, both programs are focused on training employees to troubleshoot and repair plant equipment. The 10,000-square-foot center features a custom-designed lab equipped with replicas of the distributed control systems installed at Southern Company generating facilities, giving employees a real-life picture of the issues they will face on the job. There is also an E&I laboratory, an electrical lab and a mechanical/fuels lab, as well as classrooms and office space. "We have taken great pains to ensure the systems students are trained on here and the test equipment they use in the lab are exactly what they will see when they get back to work at the plant," Franklin said. Most of the apprentices who train at the Bevill Center work at nearby plants Miller and Gorgas. Apprentices at other generating facilities receive training at sister facilities or at their respective plants. To become eligible for the training, employees must bid for an E&I or plant mechanic apprentice position and then pass a competency test. "This is going to be a great opportunity for me," said Plant Gorgas E&I Apprentice Untayus Taylor, who will complete the training in October. "I was looking for a way to move up and, at the same time, get experience doing something I can actually use." "I've always liked working with my hands," said Plant Gorgas Mechanic Apprentice Brad Key. "It intrigued me to learn about the mechanical side of the plant instead of going into operations or the electrical shop." The idea for the center grew out of an effort in 2014 to update the company's apprentice E&I and mechanical training. Alabama Power Generation and IBEW subject- matter experts teamed to strengthen and revise the curriculum for these programs to meet industrial standards. As part of this process, Alabama Power leaders realized a dedicated training center was needed. Around the same time, Bevill State's machine shop moved, opening the way for the Alabama Power center. The facility is a "win-win" for Alabama Power and Bevill State, said Al Moore, dean of the Bevill State Sumiton Campus and Career Technical Education. While it's primarily a training facility for plant employees, Bevill State students in the Industrial Electrical Technology and Industrial Mechanical Instructor Billy Davis, top, assists Apprentice Steven Butler.

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