Pre-Apprentice Lineworker School

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Course Dates

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  • Summer 2024
    • June 03 – July 19, 2024. Registration Open

General Schedule Information

  • Times: 7:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, 1-2 weekends may be required
  • Location: Decatur Campus, Lineworker Yard
  • Cost: The fee for the program is $4590

Funding Options

Private pay from personal debit/credit card

Attendance Requirements – items completed after registration

  • High school diploma or GED; Must be 18 years of age.
  • CDL Permit – Class A or B
  • DOT Physical/Drug Screen – Drug Screen must be dated within 30 days of the course start date.
  • 3-Year Motor Vehicle History (Driving Record) – Must be dated within 30 days of the course start date.
  • Calhoun Workforce Solutions registration packet– complete after online registration.

Training Program

Our 7-week course provides the following nationally recognized certificates:

  • Commercial Driver’s License – Class A or B
  • TVPPA Climbing Lab Certificate
  • OSHA 10 General Industry/Construction
  • CPR/First Aid
  • ACT WorkKeys assessment

The course also provides documentation of the following skills:

  • Pole-Top Rescue
  • Framing and Construction
  • Confined Space Awareness
  • Flagger – Training
  • Ropes and Knot-tying

Students receive training in the following:

  • Digger-Derrick/Pole Setting
  • Rigging
  • Transformers- hanging and connection
  • Underground distribution
  • Electrical theory and application
  • Substation design, maintenance, and safety

Services provided to the course graduates include:

  • Resume building session
  • Mock interviews with industry representatives
  • Exposure to hiring managers and decision makers

Calhoun provides each student a pair of Red Wing LoggerMax boots, hard hat, gloves, and two sets of eye protection. We also loan a tool bag to each student. The loaned tool bag contains every item needed to successfully complete the program. After graduation, you can buy your own tools, but many companies provide belts, tools and related equipment after hiring our graduates.

The Calhoun Community College Pre-Apprentice Lineworker course provides the necessary skills and qualifications desired by utility companies and contractors in the North Central Alabama region. We are governed by an advisory board which sets the content, length, and cost of the program. Our graduates benefit from a 90% or better hire rate in the field.

Success depends on the mental and physical preparedness of the students, and our instructors provide excellent group and individual supervision/training.

Our course is capped at 7 weeks based on the recommendation of our Advisory Board. All of our graduates, and those from any other Lineman school, are Pre-Apprentice Lineman who will have to enter a registered apprentice program with their employer. No student from any lineman course graduates as a full Lineman. That title takes years to gain for any person from any school working at any company.

Our course meets all of the requirements for successful employment in the Lineworker field for a fraction of the cost and half the time of related schools.

If you think you are eligible for state funding through WIOA or Youth Programs, you should visit your local Alabama Career Center.

Pre-Apprentice Lineman School CDL Training and Testing Component

Pre-Apprentice Lineman School CDL Training and Testing program is available for students holding a learner’s permit, seeking to obtain a Class A or Class B license, who are enrolled in the Calhoun Community College Pre-Apprentice Lineman School course.

Requirements

Students entering the Pre-Apprentice Lineman School CDL Training and Testing program must:

  • Be a paid registrant of the current Calhoun Community College Pre-Apprentice Lineman School course
  • Have a valid CDL learner’s permit issued 14 days prior to the start of class
  • Students are eligible for Class A or Class B. If you are ages 18-20, you will be limited to the state your license is issued in until the age of 21. You will not be able to perform your CDL test at Calhoun Community College if you are from out of state and have a K restriction on your permit and are ages 18-20. (Intrastate)
  • Successfully pass a chain of custody FMCSA/DOT drug screen and provide results to the college
  • Obtain a current Motor Vehicle Report (MVR)
  • Pass a DOT Physical and obtain a Medical Card

Note: The DOT physical, drug screen and motor vehicle report (MVR) must be dated within 30 days of the first scheduled class day. In the event the lineman student has completed a DOT physical and received a medical card previously, please make sure that the expiration date is valid.

Licenses and Vehicles

  • Class A license (automatic transmission) – the college provides an automatic vehicle for training/testing
  • Class B license (manual transmission) – the college provides a manual vehicle for training/testing

The training includes hands-on instruction in the pre-trip inspection, backing exercises, and the road test. The Lineman student must submit a copy of the required documentation below on the first day of the Lineman course.

  • CDL Learner’s permit
  • Social security card
  • Motor vehicle report (MVR)
  • DOT Physical
  • Medical card
  • FMCSA/DOT Chain of Custody drug screen

Training/Testing for Out-of-State Licensed Lineman Students

If the lineman student has an out-of-state learner’s permit, they may attend training and participate in skills testing at Calhoun Community College. In order to perform the CDL test, you must be ages 21+ to be eligible for the testing at Calhoun Community College. If you are ages 18-20, you are not eligible for the testing and must test in your home state.

The student must obtain a Commercial Learners Permit from their home state and their home state must be using CSTIMS or ROOSTER LITE to retrieve the CDL skills test results. The student must return to their home state to obtain the CDL license upon successful testing.

Below is a list of states that are currently using CSTIMS or ROOSTER LITE:

CSTIMS

  • Arizona
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Idaho
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Michigan
  • Montana
  • New Mexico
  • Nevada
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Rhode Island
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Utah
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming

ROOSTER LITE

  • Arkansas
  • Hawaii
  • Illinois
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Minnesota
  • Nebraska
  • New York
  • Ohio
  • South Carolina

Students must provide the following:

  • DOT Physical-Long Form and Medical Card
  • Chain of Custody Drug Screen
  • MVR (driving record that is obtained from the Dept of Public Safety)
  • Valid Driver’s License
  • Social Security Card
  • CDL Learner’s Permit

The Pre-Apprentice Lineman School training is an approved WIOA training program.

A full refund may be obtained by placing a written request to the Calhoun Community College Workforce Solutions Assistant, Jillian Christensen, no later than 30 days prior to the program start date. No refund is available after 30 days prior to the program start date.

If the refund deadline has passed, a transfer to a later class may be obtained by placing a written request to the Calhoun Community College Workforce Solutions Assistant no later than 30 days prior to the program start date. Only one class transfer is allowed.

No refunds or transfers are available after the start date of the registered class.

Related Careers

Check out career data based on the programs below:

Pre-Apprentice Lineworker Short Certificate