“Not many people can do this work, but you could be one of them.”
Dayshaun Rowe is a line mechanic with We Energies and recent graduate of Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC). Normally, he’s hard at work connecting customers to the grid, working on projects to improve reliability or restoring power after a storm. But recently, he spent the day helping members of the community learn if a well-paying career in energy is right for them.
We Energies and MATC teamed up to host a community day at the college’s Electrical Power Distribution (EPD) Training Center at North 30th Street and West North Avenue in Milwaukee.
Current and former MATC students showed members of the community what it takes to construct, maintain and repair We Energies electrical infrastructure at interactive stations, including bucket truck rides 40 feet into the air.
“If you’re afraid of heights, don’t be!” joked Rowe. “Come try it out.”
Rowe graduated from MATC’s 30-credit electrical power distribution training program last summer. The course takes place over nine months and covers the basics in power distribution, line mechanic rescue and safety, and general workplace communication.
The program prepares students like Rowe for entry-level electrical line worker positions and in-demand careers at We Energies and other companies.
“The job is not for everyone,” said Rowe. “It can be very physically and mentally demanding.”
But he’s quick to add it’s also incredibly rewarding.
“My favorite part of working this job is getting people back in power when they need it,” Rowe said. “Everyone relies on energy and power, so I feel like a superhero getting people back in power safely.”
Graduates earning a technical diploma can use the training as a step toward an apprenticeship and may be eligible for entry-level positions with a salary of about $63,000 a year. To learn more about the EPD program, go to MATC’s website.