RES apprentices: Building careers in clean energy

Long before the Inflation Reduction Act, RES recognized the value of apprenticeships to the growth and development of our people and to the future of clean energy. Since our apprenticeship program began nearly a decade ago, it has celebrated 12 apprentice graduates, with over 70,000 hours of combined training in the program.

Fueled by the Inflation Reduction Act, apprenticeship programs are not only a legal requirement, but essential to the development of clean energy projects across the country. The RES Apprenticeship program exists to develop a safety-minded and technically superior workforce, focused on building their future at RES. All apprentices work under the supervision of a qualified journeyman or instructor with diversified experience and the necessary skills to help them become proficient in critical trade work processes. They’re also trained in the use of new equipment, work methods, and processes.

The program at a glance

The RES apprenticeship program uses a consistent model and framework common to any industry. It is comprised of four modules, including classroom education, competency verification, and on-the-job training.

“This framework can be applied to anything we want to teach, and anything the apprentices want to learn,” said Cristin Bolton, director of workforce development at RES. Cristin spends her days working on ways to improve the experience of the program. “What I look for every year, every month, every week is how I can make the program better to make them proud that they’re a part of it.”

Going all in, to journey out

Completing or ‘journeying out’ of an apprenticeship program has many benefits, including financial security, job knowledge, and promotions. For 12 RES apprentices, these benefits became a reality this year.

“The pay is really great once you journey out, but being new to the industry, I also wanted to learn as much as I could,” said recent substation technician graduate Dennis Vead. “I’ve been in construction my whole life, but I wanted to understand all of the technical details.”

Although much of what is covered in the program can be learned in the day-to-day job in the field, the program, according to Dennis, fast-tracks this process.

“You are learning some of the same stuff you would have out in the field, but at a very detailed and accelerated rate,” he added. “You can work for 10 years with all these different guys, and they can give you the knowledge they have, and you can piece it together, or the apprenticeship has all the knowledge you can handle all condensed into these four modules.”

For Jordan McGee, another graduate of the substation technician program, it taught him the ‘why’ behind the work. Jordan spent five years at RES prior to joining the program.

“In my first five years I learned a lot about the construction aspect of the job, but I didn’t get the technical aspect that you get from the classroom setting,” said Jordan.  This technical understanding is what motivated him to join the program. “I could tell you all day long where a potential transformer needs to be installed, but until the apprenticeship, I couldn’t tell you its full functionality and why it was used in certain applications.”

Of the 12 graduates, nine were in the Substation Electrician program, and two were in the Line Erector Program, which focuses more on transmission work. One of the line erector graduates, Andy Pearson, said the program challenged him to understand what he was doing. “You can’t just wing it. You have to really know what you are doing,” he said. “I’m more of a hands-on guy. You can tell me all day, but if you show me, I’m going to learn it a lot faster.”

Benefits beyond the program

Once they complete the program, the graduates are better prepared to apply these skills to their roles. Jordan says, “RES is a company that likes to hire from within, and if you can develop people from the bottom up, once they get into a management role, they will be prepared, plus some.”

Dennis echoed this sentiment, stating the benefits the apprentices bring to projects. “It takes more time to sit there and train a guy on site, because you can only show them what you’re currently working on at that very moment. If they get into the program, they can use the classroom time and their apprenticeship books to get a basic understanding, which really helps with time and training.”

This knowledge is what helps projects work more efficiently. “As you progress into the later years of the program, all the knowledge you’re gaining, you are making fewer mistakes; it’s freeing up time on supervisors because you are more comfortable,” Dennis added.

Adding to that, Jordan believes the program sets employees on more of a leadership track than those who do not participate in the program.

Graduation

In July, a special ceremony was held to recognize the accomplishments of the apprentice graduates. The program serves not only to improve the business but also establishes a path to a better future for the graduates.

Dennis said he didn’t just learn the technical aspects of the work but also learned a bit about himself: “I can handle a lot more information than I thought I could. I have been out of school a long time and I didn’t really know if I still had it, but it all really came back to me.”  

He 100% recommends the program and believes “every new hire starting to build substations should go through this program. There is no reason why everybody shouldn’t have all this knowledge.” He continues saying the certification and knowledge from the program will follow you wherever you go.

For Jordan, the apprenticeship is bigger than serving his future. “We’re not only making a contribution to the employees and the company itself, but we’re also making a contribution to our country’s future,” he shared.

Although the apprenticeship program will continue to evolve with regulatory changes, its roots will always remain the same — to develop a safety-minded and technically superior workforce focused on building a zero-carbon future for all.