Submitted photo/Northlands College : Teena Monteleone

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Northlands College program boasts 100% job placement rate

Mar 6, 2019 | 7:39 AM

It’s not often you come across a training course that boasts a 100% job placement rate following graduation. That is exactly what the Powerline Technician Course at Northland College in La Ronge was able to achieve in 2018 and the future for 2019 looks just as bright!

Led by local training company Ptarmigan Consulting Inc., this program was formed in 2012 specifically to train men and women with the necessary skills and education required, to be hired by SaskPower. The owners include retired SaskPower linemen – Bruce Skilliter and Mike Wolkosky, who also run and instruct the Line Fit course along with two other instructors. After seeing a need for such a program, they were able to create it and keep it running successfully with above average completion and job placement!

Submitted photo/Northlands College

Registration for the upcoming Power Line Technician “Line Fit” program at Northlands College in LaRonge is now open. The course begins April 1, 2019 and runs for 8 weeks. Anyone interested in the program can view all the specific information in this link.

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If a challenging, outdoors career like this sounds interesting, the only pre-requisites are that you’re physically fit, have your grade 12 diploma with maths and sciences and a valid driver’s license. According to Skilliter, “the physical fitness is so important in this line of work. If you’re not fit, you won’t be able to climb the poles. This job is more demanding than practicing and performing at a hockey camp trying to make the team.” Anyone who meets these requirements and has an overall general interest and desire can apply for this program – men, women, and the average age has ranged from the 20’s to mid 30’s.

Submitted photo/Northlands College

The Power Line Technician “Line Fit” program includes various intense areas in: fitness, climbing, functions and tool names, orientation of trucks and machinery, basic electricity, construction standards, how to test poles, and job safety. Skilliter continues, “it’s a pre-trades training program. It’s the only Power Line school in Saskatchewan. 100% of the students of this course in 2018 were hired by SaskPower and powerline contractors.” Other potential employers include SaskTel and Kitsaki Projects LP, based in LaRonge. Skilliter says, “This is a unique trade – you would not learn any of these skills on the farm or at home.”

The future is promising for this type of work according to Skilliter, “SaskPower hires between 10-24 line technicians per year. There’s many line contractors in the province – there’s lots of work and there’s lots of opportunity to make a very good income, anywhere from $80-$150,000 per year.”

Submitted photo/Northlands College

Certificates earned from the Power Line Technician Line Fit program at Northlands College include: Ground Disturbance, WHMIS, First Aid/CPR, ATV/UTV, HAZMAT, and TDG, confined space, fall protection and safety orientation. They also do math upgrading.

The Power Line Technician “Line Fit” progam is scheduled for April 1, 2019 at Northlands College in LaRonge and runs for 8 weeks, with a maximum intake of 24 students.

Tuition for the Line Fit program is $2,850.00.

To apply and/or for more information, click on this link or like and follow their Facebook page: Ptarmigan Consulting/Ptarmiganline Solutions.

Space is limited for this exhilarating career and seating will fill up quickly.