PEC’s Job Shadow Day introduces students to in-demand linework careers
During PEC’s Job Shadow Day on Oct. 2, high school students suited up and performed linework to learn about the career. Pedernales Electric Cooperative photo
The Pedernales Electric Cooperative hosted more than 100 students and teachers from Marble Falls, Burnet, and Johnson City during its first-ever Job Shadow Day on Oct. 2. The event gave students a hands-on look at careers in electric linework, a trade that’s growing in demand across Texas and the nation.
“Students got a bird’s-eye view of everything this facility and our programs have to offer—from what the benefits and pay look like, to what skills they’ll learn each year,” said PEC Community Outreach Specialist Mikayla Herron in an Oct. 6 media release. “In a safe and controlled environment, they got to put on gear, climb poles, and ride up in a bucket truck to see what linework is really like.”
Experiences like Job Shadow Day are increasingly important as more students nationwide reconsider traditional four-year college paths due to rising tuition costs and extended timelines to full-time employment.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for electrical powerline installers and repairers is projected to grow 7 percent through 2034, faster than the average for all occupations. The growth is fueled by an urgent need for new talent, as nearly 40 percent of the current lineworker workforce is expected to retire within the next decade. The looming labor shortage is a nationwide concern, including within PEC’s Highland Lakes service area.
To help close that gap, the co-op is taking a proactive approach by engaging students early and exposing them to alternate career paths post-graduation.
“We need lineworkers, and we believe the best way to generate interest is by connecting with students early on and providing interactive experiences like this,” Herron said.
As one of the largest electric cooperatives in the nation, PEC hires around 20 new lineworkers a year through its Pre-Apprentice and Apprentice programs. These programs blend classroom instruction with thousands of hours of hands-on training to prepare participants for a career in linework. Typically, a high school diploma or GED is the only educational requirement to get started.
PEC also offers a wide range of youth programs and resources, including resume-building workshops, college and trade school scholarships, and experiences such as the Youth Tour, an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., where 1,500 students from electric cooperatives across the nation come together to learn about U.S. history and government.