Help wanted

MTE is among Tennessee employers seeking skilled trade workers

When he strolled across the stage as a newly minted graduate of Warren County High School, Dylan Tubb wasn’t certain where his next steps in life would take him. He certainly never dreamed they would lead to the top of a 40-foot utility pole.

“I knew I was not meant to work in an office,” he recalls. “Plus, I didn’t have the money to pay for college, and I didn’t want to take out loans.”

What Tubb did have was “a naturally curious” personality and the ability to easily self-learn. He liked doing things with his hands too. This skill set initially landed him a job in construction and later as an electrician’s assistant. But Tubb realized he wanted more than just a job and a paycheck.
His future began to get clearer the day he struck up a conversation with a MTE lineman who described the training, challenges and rewards associated with being an electric utility lineworker. That encounter led him to MTE recruiter and trainer Malissa Mayfield.

Filling the gap

At MTE and other electric utilities, the help wanted sign is always out as recruiters like Mayfield seek qualified individuals to fill the roles necessary to maintain the flow of reliable, safe electricity. “Reports say that the nation will need 400,000 new workers in the electric transmission and distribution industry by 2030,” she said. “At the same time, close to half of the industry’s skilled workforce is expected to retire within the next 10 years.”

Retirements, along with population increases and industrial growth, are creating a critical shortage of technical professionals across all trades in Tennessee, especially in the mid-state region served by MTE, Mayfield explains.
“About 175 people move to Tennessee every day, and about 24 of them are settling in Rutherford County alone,” she said, explaining how MTE relies on skilled workers to expand, improve and maintain the electric grid essential for meeting the swelling population’s power needs.

Now hiring

Though lineworker might be the best-known of the skilled jobs at MTE, Mayfield says she recruits for several positions. “I need to fill jobs like mechanics and technicians in our metering, telecommunications and facility management departments,” she said. The qualifications for these positions typically require additional education, like that offered at one of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology campuses.

For lineworkers, the co-op offers an earn-while-learning apprenticeship program that requires seven years of extensive hands-on work, classroom studies and examinations. Despite the difficulty and hazards of the position, MTE receives about 250 applications for every two lineworker jobs it posts.

The co-op averages hiring a dozen new apprentice groundmen — the entry level for those pursuing a career as a lineworker — each year. For those willing to work outside of MTE’s service area, there are many electric utilities seeking lineworker trainees, Mayfield stressed.

More than a job

Mayfield ultimately hired Tubb to fill one of MTE’s coveted lineworker trainee positions. The 28-year-old is in his third year as a groundman assisting journeyman lineworkers. He’s learning the skills necessary to literally work his way up the utility pole, and he couldn’t be happier.

“This year is an important one for me. The linemen and foreman on my crew are watching me closely to see if I’m ready to become an apprentice lineman,” he said. Meanwhile, he’s enjoying the outdoor work environment and opportunities to use the problem-solving skills he’s developed through firsthand experience and mentoring by veteran lineworkers.

Beyond essential skills and knowledge, Tubb says he’s also learned some things about himself. “To succeed every day, you have to really love it — and I do,” he said. “When I walk in the door, I have to be absolutely focused because this is important, complicated work.”

The most important thing Tubb has gained from the experience is a clear path to his future: “Being a lineman is not a job; this is a career,” he said. “And it’s my forever career.”

Sparking interest

Mobile career workshop provides hands-on exploration of technical professions

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to get behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer rig? Curious about whether you’d enjoy working with your hands as a welder or electrician? Think you’d get a rush from climbing high above the trees to work on power lines?

Thanks to the Be Pro Be Proud (BPBP) workforce development initiative, Tennessee students are getting an innovative introduction to a variety of skilled trade professions. A high-tech, interactive trailer rolls up to middle and high schools to showcase high-wage, high-demand career paths.

“There’s a critical shortage of people working in the trades throughout Tennessee and the country,” said Shelby Smith, MTE community relations specialist. “This initiative helps spark the interest of those who might not know what they want to do and to think about the possibilities offered by a technical career.”

Inside the expansive mobile lab, students can try out welding, heavy equipment operation, CNC machining, utility line work, transportation and robotics. Each virtual reality station mirrors real-world tools and controls, giving students an authentic feel for what these careers require.

In addition to the mobile workshop, students can visit beprobeproudtn.org to explore 27 different career fields, learn about the most in-demand jobs in Tennessee and connect with potential employers.

“It’s an easy and direct pathway to a job for those who want to go straight to work after they graduate high school,” said Allison Lewis. She and husband Jason travel with the BPBP rig throughout Tennessee.