Electrical Line Technician
Pursuing a career in electrical line technologies offers the opportunity to work in a critical and in-demand field that can take you anywhere. With hands-on theoretical and practical training in a supportive working environment, students are prepared for a career that demands a blend of technical expertise, physical fitness, and a disciplined, safety-conscious approach to work, and can respond to power outages during storms and natural disasters with confidence.
What It's All About
The electrical line technician (ELT) program is offered through a partnership of NMU and the Lake Superior Community Partnership (LSCP). Students will attend lectures at NMU's Jacobetti Complex and fieldwork at the MSDC training site on the former K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base in Gwinn, Michigan.
Students will receive introductory elevated outdoor work-site field experiences related to electrical power transmission and work-site field experiences related to electrical power transmission and distribution systems, including climbing, pole setting and framing, guying and bucket and digger truck operation.
Students will also learn the principles of electricity and the fundamentals of current flow in series, parallel and compound circuits as well as the general safety rules used in the electrical power industry. Applications of safety policies, personal responsibility, accident reporting procedures, and the safe use of various tools will be covered.
Each student has the opportunity to train for and receive their Commercial Driver’s License (CDL A) while in the line tech program.
Job Outlook
Median Earnings
$35/hr.
Projected Job Growth
to 2029
+2% (National)
+11% (Michigan)
Education Levels
of current workers
39% high school diploma
33% some college
19% associate degree
4% bachelor's degree
Earnings, job growth and education levels noted are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (National), and CareerOneStop/U.S. Department of Labor (Michigan).
Programs
Electric Line Technician
Certificate
The electrical line technician certificate program prepares graduates for employment as profession linemen, able to install and repair cables, wires, and structures used in electrical transmission and distribution systems. You may find yourself erecting poles and light or heavy duty transmission towers, stringing conductors, and installing various pole top equipment, all while adhering to safe work practices and procedures, such as using appropriate personal protective equipment and electrical protective equipment, employing barriers around work areas, and the use of protective grounding. You will test conductors, according to electrical diagrams and specifications, to help identify corresponding conductors and to prevent incorrect connections.
Work can be physically demanding in all types of weather conditions and sometimes includes irregular hours on evenings, nights and weekends when needed.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What does a career as a electrical line technician look like?
Employment opportunities can vary depending on interest. Generally graduates find apprenticeships with electrical contractors, which normally requires extensive travel and a variable work site reporting location, or with electrical utilities, which usually results in a fixed work site reporting location.
Graduates may also find employment as cable TV and telephone installers or with communications tower installation and maintenance companies. Whether with a contractor or a utility, an apprenticeship usually requires about 7,000 hours of on -the-job training to achieve journey person status (about three and one-half years).
Job opportunities are available nationwide. Once journey person status has been achieved, you will have a profession that is easily transportable and needed by most of the population -- virtually anywhere in the world.
What happens if you're afraid of heights?
If heights aren't your thing, chances are you won't like this career, but if you ask anyone in the field, they'll probably tell you that the first time they climbed a pole it was pretty scary. That's why we spend a lot of time in the field learning proper technique and safety to make sure your confidence grows along with your comfort. You can expect safety gear fittings, demonstrations, and plenty of practice before you find yourself at the top of a pole.
Contact Information
The College of Technology and Occupational Sciences office is in Northern Michigan University's Jacobetti Complex, Suite 105.
Phone: 906-227-2190
Email: tos@nmu.edu
Instructor: Dennis Lavalley
Email: dlavalle@nmu.edu