Students from the Knox High School careers class visited Kankakee Valley REMC to learn about career opportunities and were able to watch a lineman climb a pole.
Working for an electric cooperative is a great career opportunity. People come to work at electric cooperatives because they believe in what they do and receive the satisfaction of knowing that their work directly improves people’s lives.
While many people associate electric cooperatives with the face of a lineman, it takes many departments to run a distribution cooperative like Kankakee Valley REMC. On our staff we have communicators, accountants (including plant and payables), key accounts representatives who work with our commercial and industrial members, a human resource director, a CEO, customer service representatives, information technology professionals, a line superintendent, meter technicians, warehouse staff, an energy advisor, a mechanic and staking technicians and engineers who plot where new power lines will be built or who help homeowners plan for their new electrical service. Linemen are part of a department that includes groundmen and operators. Groundmen and operators assist linemen in performing their tasks. Each role is important in providing our members with safe, affordable and reliable power.
Careers class students from Knox High School attended a high voltage safety demonstration during their visit to the cooperative.
At a time when retirements are on the rise in many trades, including the electric utility industry, organizations are turning to local schools to inform and educate students on opportunities in the electric utility field. Through the local careers classes, the cooperative has been able to offer hands-on learning through field trips and professional classroom visits.
Recently, the Knox High School careers class visited the cooperative and saw firsthand the exciting careers and unique opportunities available when choosing a career in the electric utility field. The students were treated to a headquarters tour. They learned about alternative energy while visiting the community solar array, saw a high voltage safety demonstration, took part in how an outage is dispatched to the field crews and watched an electric utility lineman climb a pole.
We enjoy the opportunity to meet with students and expose them to careers in our industry. Some of the best and most dedicated people have chosen to serve their communities by working at an electric cooperative.
