Searching for lineman schools in Ohio? There are three Ohio colleges offering lineman programs in Ohio.
Before we list these schools, it is important to note that there is a growing demand for electrical line workers.
As a lineman, you will probably begin your career in distribution and transmission work where the majority of workers are employed.
Read on to find out more about lineman schools in Ohio and all you need to know about linemen.
Electric Lineman Work
Working as an electrical lineman will have you construct, repair, and maintain both underground and above-ground power lines.
Regardless of whether you are employed by a rural electric coop, a city power company, or a contractor working with both, you will be the first responder to maintain power lines when they are damaged by a storm, a natural disaster, or other destructive events.
The Working Conditions for a Lineman
As a power lineman, you will be expected to work in rain and snow, blistering heat and frigid cold.
You will be climbing steel towers and wooden poles, operating a hydraulic bucket, or entering the confined spaces below ground.
As a lineman, you will handle lines carrying thousands of volts. It is dangerous and physically demanding and requires strict adherence to safety protocols.
You will have options to work for a municipal power company or a rural electric cooperative. Depending on where you work, you will either be union or non-union. Either way, wages and benefits for linemen are excellent.
Lineman Apprenticeship Program
To become a lineman, there are apprenticeship programs. Completing an intense five-week course in Marion Technical College’s Electric Power Utilities Basic Lineworker Training program opens your door to the highly selective program.
The initial coursework is the first step in an apprenticeship program. Over the ensuing four years, you will take 11 one-week courses that will further enhance and refine your skills.
Marion’s program has a limited enrollment that requires pre-employment tests, an aptitude test, and a two-day test of physical abilities.
Regardless of the number of students who qualify, only 15 students are accepted annually, with the others going on a waiting list.
Once finished with the program, you will earn 20 college credits and an additional 33 college credits for completing a participating apprenticeship program.
The List of Lineman Schools in Ohio
- Lakeland Community College in Kirtland
- Marion Technical College in Marion
- Stark State College in Canton
The Marion program is an entry into apprenticeship opportunities, while Lakeland and Stark State are associate degree programs that will prepare you for this high-paying, physically challenging, and potentially hazardous career.
The degree programs at Lakeland and Stark State are a response to a regional shortage of qualified linemen and an effort to attract college graduates to the industry.
Lakeland Community College in Kirtland
The Electrical Construction Technology program at Lakeland Community College in Kirtland is a five-year Associate of Technical Studies (ATS) degree program offered in collaboration with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW Local #673).
This is one of the lineman schools in Ohio whose program combines traditional coursework in communications, mathematics, physics, economics, and computers with technical courses and work experience.
Graduates may work in residential, commercial and industrial construction as skilled wiremen and in all aspects of the electrical and teledata industry. Admission is by application, competitive testing, and interviews.
Students must meet specific admission requirements for this program. Interested students should contact the Counseling and Advising Center for details about applying for admission to the program. The school also has construction certificate programs as well.
See program details. Check out their Tuition and Fees.
Marion Technical College in Marion
Taking the AET degree program will help you gain valuable experience in understanding the growing industry of alternative energy systems as well as gain the skills needed to design, install, maintain and troubleshoot the generation, delivery, and uses of energy.
The program also includes a Certificate of Completion in Lineman Technology Level II, Certificate of Completion in Lineman Technology Level III, Certificate of Completion in Lineman Technology Level IV, and an Associate in Applied Science in Applied Electrical Technologies.
- Certificate Program
- Term Length: 2 Years
- Completion Rate: 90%
- Employment Rate: 83%
- Possible Scholarships? Yes
- Term Beginning Date(s): August
MTC Application for Admission requires Final high school transcript (or GED results) and college transcripts (if applicable). A math placement score of 41 or above is required. Visit school.
- 2022 Program Cost: $3,813
- 2022 Graduate Average Starting Wage: $63,560
Marion Technical College in Marion Electrical Apprenticeship
The purpose of the Electrical Apprenticeship program is to prepare a student to become trained, licensed journeyman electricians through four-year indentured apprenticeships.
Instruction includes residential, commercial, and industrial electricity; motor control; and project management.
For more than 20 years, the Florida Electrical Association has chosen Marion Technical College as its educational partner.
Stark State College in Canton
The lineman program at Stark State College in Canton is in collaboration with FirstEnergy and requires an additional selective and competitive application process.
This program at Stark State College in Canton is designed to give students the advantage required for the easy acquisition of desirable long-term employment in the electric utility industry.
As one of the popular lineman schools in Ohio, graduates of this program will be more employable and be able to command a higher starting wage rate than the typical entry-level employee. See program details.
- Term Length: 21 months
- Term Beginning Date(s): August
- Completion Rate: 90%
- Employment Rate: 91%
Qualifications for Lineworker positions include:
- Successful completion of the Journeyman Lineman Apprenticeship program, or the equivalent.
- Ability to safely work on energized and de-energized transmission and distribution equipment and facilities.
- Ability to safely climb wood poles and steel towers – ranging from 35 to 50 feet tall – to perform work on distribution lines.
- Class “A” commercial driver’s license (CDL).
- Ability to operate various types of large equipment, including boom trucks, bucket trucks, forklifts, trenching equipment, backhoes and other pieces of line-construction equipment.