US energy companies will have to fill more than 100,000 skilled jobs over the next eight years. According to the Edison Electric Institute, utilities will need to replace over 109,000 engineers, linemen, pipefitters and other skilled trades workers between 2010 and 2020. Due to mass retirements and attrition in the utilities industry, there will be a shortage of workers at all levels needed to maintain and enhance electric infrastructure nationwide.
If you plan to move up in the electric utilities industry, you’ll have to show your employer that you’re trained in electrical safety—with the credentials to prove it. Fortunately, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) in cooperation with the National Utility Training and Safety Education Association (NUTSEA) offers a four-part Loss Control Internship (LCI) program.
The four one-week seminars combine the training and tools you’ll need to enhance your expertise as an electrical industry safety professional. The immersive course content unites technical theory with practical application. It covers regulations affecting electric power generation, transmission and distribution; "Best Practices" for ensuring safety; and practical communication techniques for teaching others how to manage electrical hazards
This intensive NRECA/NUTSEA LCI program offers:
- Practical education and training on a fast-track schedule
- Collaborative exercises and networking time with other safety professionals
- Resource sharing of materials via outside providers
- Accelerated certification as a Certified Loss Control Professional (CLCP)
Certified Loss Control Professionals (CLCP) are widely recognized by safety professionals and the electrical utility industry. The Loss Control Internship is a key part of that certification. As a candidate for certification, you’ll need to take all four seminars in the required sequence and score 70 percent or higher on quizzes given in each seminar. What’s more, you’ll need to complete an individual project which must be approved by the Loss Control Internship Certification Panel. After that, you’ll need to attend a 30-hour OSHA compliance course.
The bottom line is that the electric utility industry--both power generation and power delivery--is relatively recession proof. So it pays to properly prepare yourself with training and certifications if you hope to enter the field and move up the ladder.
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