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Utility workers respond when maintenance or repairs are needed to restore electrical service or to keep the lights on for end users. Recently, Pioneer Electric Cooper lineman Keith Crittenden put his skills and experience to work lighting up students’ interest in energy industry careers.

On Dec. 12, Crittenden visited the Lowndes County Career Technical Center in Mosses and talked with students from Central High and The Calhoun School about career opportunities. 

“We’re here today talking with career tech students about careers in the energy industry,” said Pioneer Communications Director Christi Scruggs. “Keith has done a fabulous job of telling them all about what it takes to be a lineman. 

“We have some students here who are interested in careers as line workers. Keith has told them all about that. At Pioneer, we’re interested in developing our communities by developing our children.”

Career instructor DeAndre Crowell said he invited Scuggs and Crittenden to the center after learning of student’s interest in energy industry careers.

“Exposure is my thing,” Crowell said. “I think that’s what I’m here for.”

Pioneer offers scholarships to help students interested in pursuing careers in the industry. Scholarships for $1,000 are available to help with college or trade school, while $5,000 scholarships help with the cost of specific line worker training.

Demartavis McCall, a senior at Calhoun, said the presentation helped him narrow his career focus.

“I’ve always liked working on technology,” McCall said. “I think I will have [a lineman] career on my list.

One of two demonstrations taking place at the center that day, Crowell said employer visits help give students a real-world perspective into life after high school.

“The goal is to get students to narrow their focus, to put things in perspective for their career goals and options,” Crowell said. “School is not for everyone. Our goal is to let kids know there are all kinds of options.”

Utility providers are seeing a shortage of qualified candidates for open positions, Scruggs said.

“A line worker has to live within a 35-mile radius of one of our offices, so that limits our pool of people within our areas,” she said. “That’s where our scholarships come in. If they work for our company or even a contractor, that gets them back home where they can raise their families, and we can grow our communities in that way as well.”

Scruggs said that traditional student scholarships are awarded as part of the Electric Cooperative Foundation. Recipients must be dependents of Pioneer members and must attend an accredited school in Butler, Dallas, Lowndes or Wilcox Counties.

Scholarships for the two 15-week line worker scholarships are open to students attending an accredited high school in Butler, Dallas, Lowndes or Wilcox counties. They do not need to be a dependent of a Pioneer member to be eligible.

The deadline to apply for Pioneer Electric scholarships is Feb. 21, 2025. For more information or to apply, visit pioneerelectric.com/scholarships.