MARTINSVILLE – Patrick Henry Community College and Wytheville Community College have come together to bring Electrical Groundsman training to Patrick County residents. This four-week program, which debuted last November, will return on March 11 to PHCC’s Patrick County site in Stuart.
For Patrick County residents looking to launch a career, the short-term training program puts graduates on track for gainful employment within a month. With a groundsman certificate, graduates are eligible to work for electrical contractors serving utility companies. Moreover, groundsman is the first step in a career that could lead to a lineman position and eventually to a journeyman lineman position which typically pays $27 or more an hour.
After completing PHCC’s Electrical Groundsman course, graduates can seamlessly transfer their credentials to Wytheville Community College to take the Electrical Linesman Course offered at that college. This course qualifies a groundsman for a promotion to lineman.
Groundsman training does not require a high school diploma or GED. Groundsman workers do not work more than four feet off the ground. Students only need to have a valid driver’s license.
The Electrical Groundsman course runs for four weeks from March 11 to April 4. The classes meet Monday through Thursday from 8 AM to 4:30 PM. The total cost of the program is $3,600, but if the student is eligible for Fast Forward funding, they would only pay $1,200. Additional funding may also be available.
To find out more about the course or available funding, contact PHCC’s Workforce Systems Specialists Tanya Sprinkle at 276-656-0260.