“They are CUC’s future,” said Harry “Spike” Speicher, Pacific Lineman Training director, referring to the group of CUC linemen undergoing training.
He said Saipan will see a “big difference in CUC operation.”
Speicher was assisted by another trainer, Chris Middleton, also of Pacific Lineman Training.
Gary Camacho, CUC power transmission and distribution division manager, said 15 linemen — three from Rota and 12 from Saipan — participated the three-phase transformer bank installation training this month.
“This is level six of the training,” he said.
Thirty-one linemen are expected to be certified this year after completing a series of eight classes, CUC human resource manager Frankie Cepeda said.
Except for the new power division personnel, all linemen in CUC, including those on Rota, will be certified after completing the training.
Cepeda said the eight-level training sessions started in 2009.
The federally funded two-year training program allows CUC linemen to be certified by the U.S. Department of Labor, he added.
The program is a joint effort among the U.S. Department of the Interior/Office of Insular Affairs, the U.S. Department of Labor, the College of Micronesia-FSM, the Yap State Public Service Corp. and Pacific Lineman Training LLC.
The program provided 38 weeks of professional lineman training and more than 1,600 hours of instruction, both in the classroom and hands-on training in the field.
This month, CUC linemen are attending the sixth level which focuses on the three-phase transformer connection.
Participants have already finished the class on use and care of tools, hand lines, grounding, knots and splices, pole setting, electrical units, vehicle operations, pole top and bucket rescue, conductor and cable, tying in conductor, sagging conductor and tree trimming.
Speicher said they will have a graduation ceremony in September.
