Linemen-in-training Kyle Douglas (l), Ty Higginson (c), and Adam Roseboom (r) are part of the new generation of linemen trained at Lincoln Land Community College who will continue to ensure quality electric service to co-op members.

BY TINA MARIE FARMER

If you listen closely, you can hear it. It's the cadence of steel-toed boots, penny loafers, and high-heeled shoes sounding the rhythm of an evolving workforce.

Across the country, scores of Americans have enrolled in basic training. Significant numbers are workers displaced by corporate downsizing. Some are single mothers looking to better their children's lives, while others are hoping to grab one of the thousands of positions being vacated by Baby Boomers retiring in the next decade. Whatever their reasons, American workers are signing up in droves for new job skills training. For many, boot camp is as close as their local community college campus.

"A community college degree adds approximately $345,000 to lifetime earnings, while just one course taken at a community college adds about $360 per year to a worker's bottom line."

According to Dr. Gary Davis, Executive Director of the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA), "A community college degree adds approximately $345,000 to lifetime

10 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING www.icl.coop

earnings, while just one course taken at a community college adds about $360 per year to a worker's bottom line." Astonishingly enough, 95 percent of community college students in Illinois remain in the state after graduation, adding skilled workers to our state's workforce. The same cannot be said of university graduates. "Out of every 100 University of Illinois graduates," says Davis, "approximately 60 leave Illinois after completing their degrees. They may go to work for Dow Chemical in Midland, Mich., or Boeing in Seattle, Wash.; they go where their industry is."

The economic benefits provided by community colleges are numerous. According to Davis, "Illinois gets back more of the dollars it invests in community colleges than it gets back in dollars invested in universities. Community college graduates who choose to remain in Illinois use the dollars they earn locally. We (the ICCTA) have estimated that to be $23 billion annually." In addition, 50,000 Illinois residents owe their livelihoods directly to community colleges. For the most part, people who work on a college campus also spend their earnings in that college's district, providing economic support to the state's infrastructure in the form of taxes and jobs.

For example, a study commissioned by the ICCTA concluded that in the John A. Logan College (JALC) district in Carterville, the economic returns to taxpayers far outweigh the costs of supporting the college, a fact that is representative of the college

NOVEMBER 2004 www.aiec.coop 11

Amber Mack gets some homework help from her son Xander. "I don't have everything figured out yet," admits Amber, "but I do know that I need a good job to support me and my son. To get that job I need a better education."

community in general. According to the study, "Persons with higher education are less likely to smoke or abuse alcohol, draw welfare or unemployment benefits, or commit crimes. This translates into associated dollar savings amounting to some $17 per credit hour [taken] per year." The study also concludes that the chances of a person being incarcerated drops with every year of higher education after high school. In the JALC district, that translates to 32 fewer incarcerated people, or annual savings of about $339,568 in legal and housing expenses to taxpayers.

Bryce Cramer, Murphysboro District Office and Member Services Manager for Egyptian Electric Cooperative Association, agrees that the school is a good member of the community. Not only does JALC provide professional development opportunities to the residents of its district, but it also provides personal development opportunities as well. For example, says Cramer, the school has a workout facility available to community residents as well as classes such as art and photography. The school also offers a quality of life benefit in the form of concerts, theatrical productions, and other entertainment opportunities. "Many of us who grew up here may forget about these benefits or take for granted that they are here," says Cramer. "That's unfortunate because they are part of what makes our community unique."

Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC) addresses the quality of life issue through its Community Learning program by offering classes and seminars designed to benefit all age groups and interests. In addition to the main campus in Springfield, Community Learning and traditional curriculum courses are offered at the regional education centers located in Litchfield, Taylorville, Jacksonville, Hillsboro, and Beardstown.

"Community education offers everything from woodworking, to dance, to music."

"People don't get college credit for personal development classes, but their lives become fuller because they learn a new skill, a new art, or a new language," says Becky Watts, Executive Director of Public Information and Marketing for LLCC. "Community education offers everything from woodworking, to dance, to music." Potential Picassos, Emerils, or Bob Vilas can get started by taking a peek at the LLCC Web site and glancing through the Community Learning fall offerings.

For the past five years, Venita Lyons has been teaching beginning through advanced cake decorating at Lincoln Land and says that everyone has their own reasons for taking community education courses. "In my class, I have heard everything from 'I have a 2-year-old I would like to make a birthday cake for,' to, I'm a chef and I need to perfect aspects of my decorating technique.'"

Not interested in the culinary arts? Planning a trip to Tuscany? "Sometimes when people are going to travel they want to take a brief course in the language spoken in the country they are traveling to. We offer everything from German and Spanish to Italian and American Sign Language." Adds Watts, "These classes are not for people wanting to become professionals in the field; they're for personal enrichment."

Community learning also helps bridge the training gap for education professionals. "The No Child Left Behind Act requires that teachers and teachers' aides complete new continuing education classes and degree programs by 2006. Community colleges around the state are helping educators meet those mandates with courses designed just for them." Watts adds that those classes are grant-supported and offered cost-free.

Clearly, community colleges offer fantastic personal development opportunities, but, according to Jackie Davis, President of Olney Central College, many community colleges have had workforce development as part of their mission for years. "As such," says Davis, "we offer programs dealing with initial training and retraining that are industry-specific. Without a doubt, the greatest

12 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING www.icl.coop

impact community colleges have in this state is their production of healthcare professionals." In fact, Davis estimates that 95 percent of the nurses and x-ray technicians, especially in rural communities, are provided by community college nursing programs. "You can't go into a rural Illinois hospital without finding that most of the nursing staff obtained their degrees through the community college system," says Davis. He adds, "If we did nothing else other than train nurses, the community college system would be worth its weight in gold."

Access to skilled healthcare professionals impacts all of us. Maybe you have been alarmed by reports of the inevitable nursing shortages as many skilled nurses prepare for retirement. But, there are other industries you may never think about that also impact your life every day.

According to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), 13 percent of the American workforce is 55 or older. That means many industries will be losing a significant number of skilled workers in the next decade. One of the sectors that will be hardest hit by the losses is the electric industry.

For example, many electric cooperatives and other utilities estimate that they will have to replace roughly half of their skilled workforce in the next five to 10 years. At its worst, this could mean longer and more frequent power outages, inadequate servicing of our electric system, and higher costs. Thanks to a partnership between the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives (AIEC) and Lincoln Land Community College, the crisis may have less impact on the Illinois electric co-ops.

Many electric cooperatives and other utilities estimate that they will have to replace roughly half of their skilled workforce in the next five to 10 years.

Founded in the early 70s, the AIEC's Hot Line School electric line technology program is dedicated to training potential and current line personnel seeking to enhance their technical skill level, as well as experienced workers wanting to keep up on the latest techniques and technology. "We get a broad mix of students in our classes, particularly in the climbing school," says Roger Larkin, Manager of Safety for the AIEC. "In the 18 to 25-year-old group we get kids just out of high school and some current co-op employees. Students in their late 20s and early 30s have usually bid on a job through the union and are transferring positions within the industry, while older employees are usually looking to refresh their knowledge and learn new technology."

The AIEC/LLCC partnership offers several different schools that teach a range of skills. "We have a two-week climbing school that teaches pole-climbing techniques, some basic framing and pole assembly, and a bit of line-building instruction," says Larkin. "We also offer first- and second-year distribution curriculum so that students can learn more about lines and get further experience on the poles using hands-on tools."

The partnership encourages highly skilled employees to share their knowledge with the upcoming generation of linemen. Says Larkin, "We bring in trainers from the co-ops to train the students how to do the work. These trainers actually work in the trade on a daily basis. Students get the benefit of mingling with co-op employees and can get a 'head's up' about potential opportunities for future employment."

Students interested in the AIEC/LLCC lineman's school have the option of enrolling in either an electrical distribution certificate or associate's degree program. "Students seeking an associate's degree first apply to Lincoln Land and then contact me," says David Green, Department Chair of Agricultural and Industrial Technology at LLCC. "After I have spoken to potential students, I refer them to Roger Larkin at the AIEC. He interviews them to determine which ones are the best candidates for the program." Co-op employees interested in the school enroll through the AIEC.

So what makes a good lineman? Typically "outdoorsy types" says Larkin. "They also cannot be afraid of heights or electricity and must respect the power flowing through the electrical equipment." Adds Larkin, "Lineman's work is physically demanding, dangerous, 'hands-on' work. A lineman must be good with tools, good with numbers, and in good physical shape to succeed."

In order to provide each student with the most personal instruction, the classes are limited to approximately five students, depending on the number of co-op employees enrolled in the training. The program offers five weeks of training in the fall and three in the spring.

If you are interested in joining the thousands going through "basic training," your local community college is a great place to start. For more information about the AIEC/LLCC lineman's school, contact Roger Larkin or Mary Zitek at the AIEC at (217) 529-5561, or David Green at Lincoln Land at(217)786-2406.

For more information about local community colleges in your area go to www.communitycolleges.org and under "Quick Links" click on "Community college Web sites."

NOVEMBER 2004 www.aiec.coop 13