Anyone can flip a switch, but only a lineworker can light the way to a career in electricity. Recently, on a warm sunny day, hundreds of South Bend Community School Corporation (SBSC) high school and middle school students energized the St. Joseph County Fairgrounds for a hands-on career fair.
I&M participated in IGNITE Career Exploration event at the St. Joseph County 4-H Fairgrounds.
Lineworkers from Buchanan, South Bend and Elkhart districts participated in IGNITE Career Exploration Event sponsored by GEAR UP South Bend! The team used I&M’s Safety Trailer to demonstrate the dangers of electricity and show students portions of their work day. Students were especially intrigued seeing how a squirrel can cause an outage and seeing what happens when a shovel makes contact with underground utilities.
Lene Mollberg, Line Servicer based in Buchanan, has been with I&M for nearly 30 years and has a strong passion for electrical safety.
“It starts off at a young age with the kids,” Mollberg said. “Too many people have been hurt from just not having the knowledge and not understanding it because they don’t see it. By taking the safety trailer around to different venues and showing people just the simple things that can happen and to save them is huge.”
A few days later Elkhart employees participated in a career fair at Elkhart High School. Hundreds of students asked I&M lineworkers, network or underground power line workers, meter technicians and IT employees questions. The end goal – to have them join the ranks of I&M and serve their community.
I&M employees chat with Elkhart students at a career fair.
“It’s important to share what I&M does on a daily basis. We do provide safe and reliable power, but we also provide various career opportunities right in students’ community,” said Jill Herlein, Revenue Protection Coordinator in Elkhart. “We have careers in technical trades, engineering, finance, customer care, security, fleet mechanics and community affairs. If you have an idea of what you’re interested in, there’s likely a place for you here.”
The safety trailer was created in 2010 and is used across I&M’s footprint to educate police and fire departments, community organizations and local school corporations on the importance of electrical safety.
For more safety information click here. If you or someone you know is interested in a career at AEP or I&M, click here.