Celebrating 14 Employees Successfully Completing Their Three-Year Apprenticeship Since COVID

Commissioners kicked off their June 25, 2024 meeting by celebrating the 14 employees since the COVID pandemic ended who had successfully completed three-year apprenticeships for careers as Grant PUD power plant operators, power system electricians, linemen, electronic technicians and meter relay technicians.

“Grant County has always wanted to be in control of its own destiny and not be reliant on anyone else,” Commission President Tom Flint told the gathered employees and their supervisors. “That’s the heritage quality reflected in Grant PUD and staff. Congratulations!”

The graduates received the training they needed to take their journey level exams. They’re now embarking on the next level of their careers and will begin passing on their knowledge and experience to new generations of apprentice hopefuls, Casey Raab, Apprenticeship & Workforce Development Program Manager, told commissioners.

“Going through an apprenticeship is an excellent opportunity and a rewarding experience but requires great determination and hard work,” Raab said.

Many begin their training with a six-month trial period to be sure a craft position is a good fit. If they meet their journeyman and supervisors’ expectations, they’re admitted to the three-year, 6,000-hour apprentice training program.

Commissioners encourage and enthusiastically support Grant PUD’s efforts to hire locally and promote from within to cultivate employees who want to stay and grow with the Grant PUD over the course of their careers.?

“What we gain are well-rounded, qualified and competent journeymen to perform tasks in specialized fields,” Raab said. “You cannot get that type of training unless you go through an apprenticeship.”

The “graduates” are: Power Plant Operators Aaron Elston, Jose Valle and Cory Keller; Electronic Technicians Bart Knoll and Igor Babak; Power System Technicians Blake Reeves, Dakota Delong and Shane Melseth; Meter Relay Technician Stephen Correl; and Linemen Carson Fisk, Parker Ball, Santana Echavarria, Tanner Pugh and Tyler Kautz.