ComEd’s Big Three: Apprenticeships in Overhead, Underground and Substation
November 19, 2024
It’s the 10th anniversary of National Apprenticeship Week and at ComEd it’s a chance to highlight the contributions that our hardworking apprentices make every day on the grid. ComEd offers the “Big Three”, three apprenticeship schools that on average develops 120 new craft employees each year, including overhead electrical, underground electrical, and transmission & substation.
Nine million of us in northern Illinois depend on the best-in-class reliable energy brought to you by more than 6,600 men and women at ComEd, roughly half of them in craft positions, working in the sky, below the ground, or behind fences to support the grid. But did you know what kind of training goes into these roles?
To become a full-fledged overhead line worker, underground splicer, or a substation mechanic at the company, it takes over two years of alternating class instruction and on-the-job training.
- Overhead apprentices train to work on poles and other overhead electrical equipment
- Underground apprentices learn how to splice electrical cable in underground vaults
- Substation apprentices learn the ins and outs of constructing and maintaining transmission equipment that feeds more than 90,000 miles of power lines.
Renardell “B” Burns, training manager at ComEd’s Chicago Training Center.
Today, Renardell “B” Burns is a training manager at ComEd’s Chicago Training Center and oversees the underground and overhead apprenticeship schools there, the very place where his trades journey started almost 20 years ago. “My ComEd underground apprenticeship transformed my life by teaching me a meaningful craft that not only helps others but also allows me to support my family,” said B. “It’s more than just learning a trade. In this industry, our customers depend on us to keep the lights on and that gave me a sense of purpose.”
In 2018, B became a demonstrator for the underground training department, and two years later became an instructor. After taking on specialized training, he was promoted to Training Manager, a role in which he supports all distribution operations training, passing on to new apprentices the knowledge and safety skills he learned when he first started.
At ComEd, there is also a strong veteran community. Recently completing the first of three progression schools in the Overhead Electrical apprenticeship school, Jack Richardson comes from a long line of military servicemen turned electricians.
Jack Richardson, overhead electrical apprentice.
“After serving in the military, I wanted to continue serving my community while following in my family’s footsteps – my dad and several of my uncles became electricians after their military service,” said Jack, an apprentice serving the Aurora area. “In my apprenticeship, becoming a sponge for knowledge, showing up with a good attitude, and asking questions has allowed me to learn something new every day.”
Before kicking off their apprenticeships in any of the Big Three schools, candidates must first get started in an entry-level trades role, whether that be as a Construction Worker or an Overhead Helper. After about 12-18 months of preliminary training in those roles, employees are then eligible to join one of the apprenticeship schools and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 15.
“In partnership with ComEd, IBEW Local 15 is proud to continue supporting the next generation of electrical workers in gaining the skills needed to advance in their careers and safely deliver power for our communities,” said Chris Riser, the president, business manager, and financial secretary for IBEW Local 15. “The trades aren’t for everyone – it takes a lot of mental and physical stamina to do what we do, but everyone who has been in our shoes knows that once you overcome those challenges, it’s a very rewarding career.”
With the clean energy transition in Illinois requiring the support of tens of thousands of new workers in the coming years, ComEd works to expand career opportunities for local residents through a variety of job training, apprenticeship, and STEM education programs. To learn more about ComEd workforce and apprenticeship training programs, and requirements to apply please visit ComEd.com/CleanEnergyJobs.
