Alabama Power invited high school students from across central Alabama to spend two days exploring potential career paths in the utility industry.

Students experienced Alabama Power’s Lineworker Career Days, held earlier this month at the company’s General Services Complex in Calera.

The annual event, now in its sixth year, drew more than 200 students from multiple high schools to learn about the skills and responsibilities involved in linework and related trades.

First launched in 2018, the program provides students with a hands-on introduction to the work performed by Alabama Power crews across the state.

Students from six schools attended across the two days, where they rotated through six learning stations covering basic electricity, mechanical equipment, vehicles, welding, linework fundamentals and other utility careers.

Additional stations were available during lunch, offering experiences such as fiber training, a defensive driving simulator, drone demonstrations, vegetation management and hands-on activities like knot-tying and rubber glove use.

“Hopefully, what we can do with this program is expose [students] to what we do at Alabama Power,” said Eric Boykin, Southern Division general manager for Power Delivery. “That’s what I’m hoping that these kids will get out of these days. They will see what we do at Alabama Power, the value that we truly bring to our customers here in the state of Alabama, and that one day they will want to be part of that picture.”

Boykin said the event is part of Alabama Power’s continued effort to invest in the future workforce by showing students practical career options.

“We’re just really trying to show these young kids the opportunities that we provide to try to attract them to the industry so that once they graduate high school, then maybe they will seek some of these opportunities,” he said.

Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at sherri@yellowhammernews.com.