Panhandle Rural Electric Membership Association General Manager Zac Bryant recently attended the WNCC Foundation October board meeting to discuss the ongoing partnership with WNCC and the Powerline Construction & Maintenance program.
Bryant thanked WNCC for what they are doing with the utility lineman program and stressed how important this program is to the regional power providers.
“One of the benefits of having a Powerline program here, is that students from the area, who want to stay in the area, have an opportunity to train here and go right to work after completing the program,” Bryant said. “PREMA strives to provide a good quality of life for employees with competitive pay and benefits.”
Not only does PREMA benefit from the Powerline program, but they are always available to help with the program and enjoy the opportunity to do so. Bryant keeps in close contact with WNCC Powerline Instructor, Shane Homan, and praised him as an instructor that is well rounded and knows what his students need.
WNCC President Greg Dart recently attended the WNCC Powerline Advisory Board meeting, made up of powerline industry leaders and said that the partnership with local industry leaders is crucial to running a successful program.
“I’ve attended many advisory meetings at different colleges, and this has to be one of the best. The industry partners are so dedicated, knowledgeable, and have very clear ideas of what we need to do as we train powerline workers,” Dart said. “I left the meeting knowing some specific improvements we can make to our facility. Because of the connections in our communities with leaders like Zac and others on the advisory board, we know exactly what we need to do.”
WNCC Foundation Board President, Judy Chaloupka, thanked PREMA for their recent $5,000 donation and $5,000 match. This donation was the second of five installments pledged to assist the program with equipment updates, specifically updated trucks. Bryant stressed how important it is for the students who go through the Powerline Pprogram to have equipment that is modern and in good shape.
“That money is mainly directed towards trucks,” Bryant said. “We really wanted to touch on how important it is for those who go through the program to have modern trucks in good condition. If they have down time, there is a huge gap in learning. It’s important for instructors to have the right equipment.”
To learn more about the WNCC Powerline Construction & Maintenance program contact WNCC Admissions at admissions@wncc.edu or 308.635.6010.