Southside Electric Cooperative (SEC) recently donated a line truck to the Southside Virginia Community College (SVCC) Power Line Worker Training School.

According to a press release, SEC President & CEO Jeff Edwards, Vice President of Operations Brad Furr and Vice President of Member and Public Relations Ron White presented the truck to the school’s lead instructor, Clyde Robertson.

The truck itself, Unit 71, has spent time at Fort Pickett, where the Power Line Worker Training School campus is located, according to the release. “Fort Pickett is served by SEC, and the truck was used for reconditioning the power lines on site.”

“I would like to thank SEC for its generous gift to the program. We needed this equipment so that we could expose students to as much ‘everyday’ line work as possible. Together, we are making a difference in the lives of these young people,” Robertson said.

Edwards explained, “At SEC, we value our partnership with SVCC through the Power Line Worker Training School program. We were preparing to retire a line truck in our fleet when we realized the current class did not have access to one. We recognized that the value of the truck would be greatly enhanced as a donation to the program. The truck is fully operational and ready for the school to use for many years.”

“The first-of-its-kind in Virginia, the school was founded in 2016 by a public-private partnership between Virginia’s electric co-ops, SVCC, Virginia Community College System, Virginia Foundation for Community College Education, Rural Virginia Horseshoe Initiative and the Commonwealth of Virginia,” according to the release.

“We are happy to contribute to helping students learn how to operate these vehicles. With this knowledge, they will be more valuable employees in the utility industry,” Edwards added.

For more information on the training school, visit www.southside.edu.