Group Included Teachers, Counselors from Across The Texas Hill Country
(MARBLE FALLS, Texas) August 1, 2024 — As teachers prepare to return to the classroom, Pedernales Electric Cooperative proudly hosted 11 educators from across Central Texas on July 24 at its Safety and Technical Training Center in Marble Falls. The group — which included school counselors and advisors, as well as welding and construction teachers — attended PEC’s Educator Exploration Day to learn more about the craft and help promote linework as a potential career path for students interested in trade work.
“We have an incredible state-of-the-art training facility here in Marble Falls and were eager to engage with our area schools to show what we can offer students here locally,” said Mikayla Herron, PEC community outreach specialist. “Our hope is that they’ll take this back to their classrooms to present linework as an option for those interested in serving their community and working to keep the lights on.”
Herron says PEC and educators each have something to gain from working in tandem to build the next generation of lineworkers. At the event, PEC shared information about its scholarships programs, points of entry to PEC – including the Cooperative’s apprenticeship program and new pre-apprenticeship program. Educators also had the opportunity to watch lineworkers practice climbing and working on transformers and other electrical equipment in a safe and controlled environment.
With the rising costs of college tuition, Haley Thomas, a counselor at Burnet Middle School, says she and other teachers are grateful to start the school year with new opportunities for students to explore.
Thomas said, “Being able to present students with this possibility where they can be 18, have their high school diploma, and go immediately into the workforce making money is a great way to motivate them to push toward a path and have a goal.”
Leigh Craig, LBJ High School Counselor with Johnson City ISD agrees.
Craig said, “There was a lot of great information and I feel like our students can really benefit from knowing that they can do something right after high school that’s valuable and not just a secondary plan, but a really good first plan — to come to a place like PEC, have a career and advance and receive benefits.”
As PEC continues to experience sustained and record growth, the Cooperative remains focused on recruitment and planning for the future. In 2024, PEC doubled its apprentice class and launched a new pre-apprenticeship program to help pave the way for the future. Pre-apprentices work as contractors through a staffing agency for 40 hours a week for up to three months, gaining basic experience as groundsmen and seeing firsthand what being a lineworker entails. Pay begins at $22 per hour, with the opportunity to earn a full-time position with benefits working for PEC as lineworker apprentice.
Those interested in applying for PEC’s pre-apprenticeship program should send their resume to [email protected]. Interested candidates for PEC’s regular Apprenticeship Program can learn more and apply here. Educators who would like to partner with PEC can get in touch by emailing [email protected].
