Clark State Community College issued the following announcement on March 28.
The Clark State College Commercial Transportation Training Center (CTTC) will train its first all-female cohort. The six women in the cohort are participants in American Electric Power’s (AEP) Women in Linework program.
“Clark State is ecstatic to partner with AEP to offer the commercial driver’s license (CDL) training for their Women in Linework initiative. The Commercial Transportation industry has noticed an increase in women completing training since the onset of the pandemic,” said Crystal Jones, vice president of marketing, diversity and community impact at Clark State. “This opportunity further supports our vision and our commitment diversity. It is equally exciting that this first class is beginning during Women’s History month.”
Participants in Women in Linework (WiL) receive the necessary foundation and training to become a skilled worker in a well-paid field with high demand for workers.
Participants will be employed by AEP upon the start of the required CDL program. All candidates must successfully complete the duties and requirements of the position to earn a seat in AEP Ohio’s lineworker apprenticeship program at the end of the WiL program.
Jennifer Matz, AEP program coordinator for the Women In Linework program said the workforce should reflect the communities served.
“Women are significantly underrepresented in line careers, both within AEP and the energy industry as a whole,” she said. “We recognize there is tremendous opportunity to diversify and strengthen our workforce by attracting and recruiting this substantial, capable, untapped talent pool. WiL puts action and investment behind this belief.”
Matz said WiL is designed to remove historical biases that hinder women from entering line work through the creation of pathways that set the stage for long-term career success, as well as positively impact the economic stability and prosperity of women within the communities served by AEP.
Clark State’s Commercial Transportation Training Center (CTTC) offers CDL Class A and Class B programs, as well as a Tractor-Trailer Refresher program. The CTTC now also serves as an official state testing site for those who have met the requirements for the CDL exam.
“Our Women in Linework program is breaking barriers in the energy industry, creating new opportunities for this highly capable, vastly underrepresented talent pool,” said Marketta Franklin Thomas, AEP director, Learning and Development. “We are pleased to partner with Clark State University to help our participants obtain their commercial driver’s license. This part of the program unlocks more possibilities as they work toward building rewarding careers in a well-paid, high demand field.”
More information about the Women in Linework program is available at: aep.com/WiL
Original source can be found here.
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