Gateway Community and Technical College received a $25,000 grant from Duke Energy Foundation to support its 16-week lineworker training program.
The technical college, located in Florence, is home to the only 16-week lineworker training program in the Commonwealth, according to a press release from Gateway. The certificate allows students to enter the field as line technician apprentices.
Amy Spiller, president of Duke Energy of Ohio and Kentucky, said the apprentice program is “instrumental in developing and retaining critical talent in our region.”
The program was developed and launched in 2020 to address the local labor shortage in the lineworker field. Close to 50 students have earned their line tech certificate since then and are now working in the field. The college reported a steady enrollment increase in the lineworker program since its launch.
Gateway’s line technician program was one of 22 workforce development programs to receive a grant from the Duke Energy Foundation in June. The foundation reported giving more than $755,000 to local organizations for workforce development in the past five years.
College president Dr. Fernando Figueroa said the program is a change for “those who look to upskill and contribute to the economic vitality of this region.”
He added that the labor gap filled by the program will allow the community to “flourish.”