Utility Workforce: Virgil Melton

Deck: 

Curriculum Specialist

Fortnightly Magazine - July 2020
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If you were wondering why the lineman braves the elements, and sometimes drives the truck across states to join the fight, read on. It'll be easy to see then that they are truly the passion of power.

 

PUF: What does Alliance do and what is your role there?

Virgil Melton: I came to work for the Alliance as a curriculum specialist. We write training materials for apprenticeship programs. Right now, we have between forty-five thousand to fifty thousand apprentices across the U.S. that we're writing this training material for.

PUF: Why is Alliance so important to the industry and the country?

Virgil Melton: We write training materials to make an individual, skilled, productive, and safe in his or her work. The Electrical Training Alliance formerly was the NJATC for many years, but now we've rebranded our name. We have two hundred and seventy-five inside programs that we do the various work for, and then we have nine, outside, area wide programs, which handle all of the U.S.

PUF: How did your background lead to this role?

Virgil Melton: I'm a third generation IBEW member. My dad, granddad, and other family members were all IBEW members. I started on the inside and went about a year and a half into the inside program.

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