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Video: Developing electrical linemen at Cape Fear Community College

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Electrical employers in North Carolina need at least 800 entry-level linemen per year. Cape Fear Community College asked those employers: What do you want to see in an entry-level electrical lineworker?

From there, the college built its linemen curriculum to meet specific needs of the local workforce.

The electrical linemen program began at the college in June 2018 and runs every quarter. During the 10-week, 400-hour course, unemployed and underemployed individuals have a chance to develop skills that are immediately transferable to the workforce. 

“Employers are telling us that they need to get the employees more productive in a shorter period of time,” said John Downing, dean of continuing education at Cape Fear Community College. “So short-term training programs, in a matter of weeks or months, to get folks to the point where they’re productive in the workforce, [are] essential for a rapidly expanding workforce.”

This is Part 3 of our three-part video series on the role of community colleges in developing North Carolina’s workforce. To watch Part 1 on developing truck drivers, click here. To watch Part 2 on developing winemakers, click here. To read our featured article on this topic, click here.