JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Come this fall, students at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College will be able to sign up for a new program in electrical utility technology.
“What we’ve done here is have the line maintenance and construction track coming to Penn Highlands, in addition to the substation technician track,” EUT program coordinator and instructor Chris Vann said.
Chris Vann
Vann wrote the curriculum for the new program and teaches in the pre-existing substation technician track. He described the electrical utility technology offering as high-quality and added that, when students graduate, they’ll be able to work on power lines.
“It’s really cool to know when you look out at those bucket trucks and guys going up the pole, we’re handling that program now,” he said.
Anyone accepted into the new EUT program will have the opportunity to graduate with an associate’s degree. The book work will be done at the college and most of the hands-on work will be done at regional skills training centers for FirstEnergy.
“They’re learning everything they need to learn in those two years to step out in that career field and put that hard hat on,” Vann said.
He noted that every community relies on electrical utility technicians, especially during stormy weather.
“This particular career field, we all count on this,” Vann said.
Uriah Peruso, a graduate of the Penn Highlands substation technician track, said his experience at the school was great. The 28-year-old Johnstown native completed the program in 2021 and now works for FirstEnergy.
“They do a really great job training you up,” he said of the college.
That’s not only because of the quality educators, but also because of the training equipment, Peruso said. The college has mock-ups of equipment that students will see in their day-to-day jobs. They’re taught to troubleshoot and fix those machines.
Peruso said Vann is also a great teacher and “incredibly brilliant.” When he found out Penn Highlands would now offer both tracks for FirstEnergy, he was pleased the schooling could be offered in one place.
The college’s board of trustees passed the motion to add the program at the last meeting.
“Thank you for passing the EUT program. I think that’s a great asset to the college and to our portfolio of offerings,” said Rob Farinelli, vice president of academic affairs, after that action. “We should be able to have about 18 new students in the fall for that program and guaranteed 18 the following fall.”
Because of the dual offering, Vann thinks the program will do nothing but grow.
Gloss