ComEd Unveils New Libertyville Training Center with First Graduating Class of Overhead Line Worker Apprentices
04 July 2024 - 5:49AM
Business Wire
Eighty-five overhead apprentices take next
steps to work on the grid; expansion of training will support
future talent needs required to support America’s most reliable
utility
ComEd today unveiled the newly built Libertyville Training
Center, celebrating 21 trainees from the site’s overhead electrical
apprenticeship school. The Libertyville Training Center marks the
7th training center in the northern Illinois service region,
highlighting ComEd’s commitment to boosting training opportunities
across the communities it serves to build a diverse and skilled
talent pipeline needed to construct and maintain the nation’s most
reliable grid in the years ahead.
ComEd celebrates the largest overhead class to graduate to date
– a total of 85 overhead apprentices graduate from basic school
today, with additional graduation ceremonies held at the Chicago,
Joliet and Rockford Training Centers. Expanding apprenticeship
training is part of ComEd’s work to prepare communities for the
expected growth in the clean energy sector, with as many as 150,000
new jobs expected to come to Illinois by 2050 to support the clean
energy transition.
“As we prepare to strengthen the grid to withstand increasingly
severe weather tied to climate change and meet the evolving demands
for clean energy, having a well-trained and diverse workforce is
essential for delivering the infrastructure and service that over 9
million customers depend on every day,” said Valerie Colletti,
Senior Vice President of Distribution Operations. “We are
thrilled to join the Village of Libertyville and industry partners
in opening our newest training center, and we will continue to
expand training that will allow more community members to take
advantage of family sustaining careers and to play a key role in
building the grid of the future.”
“The Village is proud to work with ComEd as it brings forth a
new state of the art training yard that creates new career pathways
while providing a boost to our local economy,” said Donna
Johnson, Mayor of Libertyville. “I look forward to seeing the
impact of ComEd’s investments here in our community, attracting new
talent and putting Libertyville at the center of training the
future energy workforce.”
Construction on the new Libertyville Training Center began in
September 2023, preparing the existing headquarters to add a
64,000-square-foot outdoor training area for apprentices pursuing
careers as overhead line workers – those who maintain and repair
the electric grid that spans more than 11,000-square-miles. The
outdoor space features a series of 40-, 45-, and 65-foot-tall
wooden poles, a pavilion dedicated to rest time during harsh
weather, and other practice electrical equipment. The headquarters,
which houses general operations, field crews, and other activities
also made space for a classroom large enough to accommodate the new
electrical apprentices.
“More training support is essential to developing the talent
pool of skilled craft workers needed to maintain and strengthen the
grid,” said President of IBEW Local 15 Chris Riser. “By
expanding union apprenticeship opportunities, more local residents
will have the chance to join rewarding careers that will play an
important role in building a stronger, cleaner energy future for
generations to come.”
The Libertyville Training Center was completed in March and also
benefits the north region as seasoned line workers serving the area
will be able to respond to customer calls quicker if needing to
deploy during their periodic refresher training.
“The clean energy transition in Illinois is creating more and
better paying education and job opportunities that will bring
economic prosperity to our communities of Lake County,” said
Kevin Considine, President and CEO of Lake County Partners.
“Through the investment of companies like ComEd, the size and
diversity of the local labor pool continues to grow, and we look
forward to the future success of our community members interested
in joining the clean energy industry.”
In 2022, ComEd announced a three-year plan to hire 500 new
entry-level trades workers. Since then, ComEd has hired 423
Construction Workers and Overhead Helpers – those starting their
journey to become future line workers. Check back for job
opportunities in overhead or other craft roles, and beyond at
ComEd.com/Careers.
About ComEd
ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ:
EXC), a Fortune 200 energy company with approximately 10 million
electricity and natural gas customers – the largest number of
customers in the U.S. ComEd powers the lives of more than 4 million
customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s
population. For more information visit ComEd.com, and connect with
the company on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.
Photos of today’s announcement are available for download
at:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1spVvw2fSu1-lvTKpRBirao-XRrVCMxbq?usp=sharing
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240703597971/en/
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