November 5, 2025
South Mississippi will soon have a consistent pipeline of new utility linemen to meet the needs of local utility companies thanks to Pearl River Community College’s new Utility Lineman Technology Building.
An open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Tuesday, Nov. 4 with representatives from Mississippi Power Company, Coast Electric Power Association, Cooperative Energy, and Pearl River Valley Electric Power Association joining PRCC faculty and staff, local legislative representatives, and community members in attendance.
The new building features two classrooms and a spacious training lab where students can safely practice new skills regardless of the weather. Students also have access to a driving simulator for operating trucks that require a Class A commercial driver’s license (CDL). Other simulation opportunities in the large interior space cover overhead and underground operations, including low-voltage energized work where students can do troubleshooting, testing, and banking of transformers.
“This has been a more than two-year effort and the result of work by many people, including these energy companies, our instructors, the community, our political leaders, and our administration, supporting this need because there’s such a shortage in the field,” said Dr. Amy Townsend, dean of career and technical education for Poplarville and Hancock County Campuses.
“The facility replicates what they will see in industry. Truck driving and earning their CDL is a big part of this program. The simulator gives them training before they get into the big trucks that we have, some of which have been donated by local utility companies.”
Tyler Davis was a student in the PRCC program in 2008. He returned to The River in 2023 as an instructor of lineman technology, excited to contribute to the program’s growth and improvement. Davis recognized how important industry support is to the lineman program.
“With the industry changing so fast, we have to stay on top of things happening in the industry to make sure we are teaching students everything they need to know,” said Davis. “We need to know what these companies are looking for in their next candidates and how we can provide them with the best candidates.
“The brand-new indoor facility and classrooms will be great for the future linemen coming through here. We will continue to grow and improve. That’s what we do.”
The building and hiring of a second instructor, Josh Geiger, has enabled the expansion to two cohorts of students, with the next group beginning in January.
Funding for the building began with a $100,000 donation made in 2023 by Coast Electric Power Association, Cooperative Energy, Mississippi Power Company, and Pearl River Valley Electric Power Association. Additional funds were provided by the Mississippi Legislature. The PRCC physical plant team completed much of the work to help make the project a reality while being good stewards of resources.
“The Mississippi Power Foundation contributed to the $100,000 donation in 2023 as an investment in the industry as a whole,” said Ann Holland, community development representative for Mississippi Power. “We are excited to be at this state-of-the-art facility, and to support the students coming out of here who will be our future workforce.”
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Article by Laura O’Neill. Photography by Kaylee Fortenberry.
