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Table 13 - Linemen Apprentice Staffing Levels
ComEd Linemen Apprentices
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Overhead 0 50 51 49 93 76 58 49 41 17 26 101
Underground 0 29 42 17 3 34 41 10 2 2 12 30
Area Operators 6 1 3 15 5 14 4 13 17 3 3 14
Total Apprentices 6 80 96 81 101 124 103 72 60 22 41 145
Total Journeymen 1 1,697 1,608 1,546 1,580 1,511 1,496 1,596 1,550 1,511 1,445 1,384 1,324
Total Linemen 2 1,703 1,688 1,642 1,661 1,612 1,620 1,699 1,622 1,571 1,467 1,425 1,469
Variance -15 -46 19 -49 8 79 -77 -51 -104 -42 44
1 Total Journeymen would include all other linemen that were not apprentices.
2 Total linemen departures can not be determined other than comparing variations in total linemen from one year to the next.
• Table 14 describes the number of substation apprentices for the 10-year period under
study. As can be seen, the ComEd organization hired apprentices in every year except
1996. However, the total complement of substation journeyman has been reduced from
573 in 1995 to 381 in 2006. This amounts to a reduction in staff of almost 33%.
However, the reduction in staff is actually greater from a skills gap perspective. Given
the length of apprentice program, plus the reality that it takes another three years at a
minimum to create a fully versed substation journeyman, it will be at least six years until
the newly hired apprentice is as technically qualified as the substation journeyman
leaving the journeyman position. Thus, from a skills gap perspective, assuming
historical substation journeyman attrition, the effective substation workforce will be
significantly lower before the impact of the most recently hired apprentices is fully felt.
Table 14 - Substation Apprentice Staffing Levels
ComEd Substation Apprentices
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Substation Electrical Mechanics 33 0 1 1 1 19 29 27 24 1 1 2
Substation Field Craft 19 15 5 8 4 3 6 0 4 4 0 0
Total Apprentices 52 15 6 9 5 22 35 27 28 5 1 2
Total Journeymen 1 573 585 581 578 559 535 484 439 422 414 403 381
Total Substation 2 625 600 587 587 564 557 519 466 450 419 404 383
Variance -25 -13 0 -23 -7 -38 -53 -16 -31 -15 -21
1 Total Journeymen would include all other substation employees that were not apprentices.
2 Total substation departures can not be determined other than comparing variations in total substation employees from one year to the next.
.
• Historically, refresher training consists of three days to a week of training per year.
Refresher training topics for C&M include: spacer cable installation, inspecting overhead
conductors, mid-point reclosurer/sectionalizer demonstration and review, underground
rural development review, etc. Refresher topics for T&S include: SF 6 gas handling,
storm restoration activities, use of test equipment, lock out tag out review, etc.
Refresher topics for DSO include: storm restoration process, fault wizard, trip saver
device, relays, dead front switchgear, etc. In addition, various groups within Customer
and Marketing Services periodically receive refresher training similarly appropriate for
their job responsibilities.
• The Utility has forged a relationship with the City Colleges of Chicago by establishing the
Dawson Technical Institute Overhead Electrical Line Worker Program. Established in
2006, the program was designed to improve the skill level of entry-level employees,
reduce on-the-job training time and attract a local and diverse employee population. As
of August 2008, it has hired 29 of the 72 students who graduated from the program.
