Introduction

Merchant Job Training & Safety Program (MJTS) offers a comprehensive power-line training program for utility personnel throughout the world in both English and Spanish. The program not only provides practical training for apprentice linemen, it serves as valuable skill advancement for experienced linemen and supervisory personnel. Among those who use and endorse our training program are private utilities, rural electric associations, municipal associations, and contractors. To date our total enrollment exceeds 6,000 trainees.

The Merchant Training Program provides 144 hours of academic training per year over a period of 4 years, consistent with requirements of The US Bureau of Apprentiship and Training. The curriculum content is both comprehensive and practical, drawing upon the author's extensive industry and classroom experience.

Program Content and Organization

Material is organized according to the National Format for Vocational Training. This approach identifies key competencies a trainee needs on the job, organizing them into main topics or blocks of information for subdividing into manageable size units of instruction. The Merchant program is comprised of seventeen blocks.

Block I - The Electric System
Block II - Basic Electricity
Block III - Math
Block IV - Safety
Block V - Staking/Mapping
Block VI - Rigging
Block VII - Transformers
Block VIII - Overvoltage/Overcurrent Protective Devices
Block VIIII - Live Line Maintenance
Block X - Voltage Regulation
Block XI - Power Use
Block XII - Watt-Hour-Meters
Block XIII - Test Meters
Block XIV - Street Lighting
Block XV - Orientation
Block XVI - Underground distribution
Block XVII - Substations

Each participating utility, contractor, or statewide association has a "Training Coordinator" serving as the in-house proctor for the program. At the time of registration, MJTS makes curriculum materials available to each trainee through the Training Coordinator.

Procedures

A trainee's primary learning materials consist of three required textbooks and four workbooks, one workbook per academic year. Each workbook has nine sections, and each section contains either three of four units of instruction. A unit of instruction is composed of:

White Objective Sheet
Green Information Sheets
Gold Assignment Sheets

The white objective sheet clearly states the competencies a trainee acquires from the unit, and it refers to required reading in the supplemental textbooks. The trainee studies material in the supplemental texts and the workbook's green information sheets. After getting comfortable with the material presented, trainees assess their mastery of the topic and engrain it more firmly to memory when they complete the gold assignment sheets. They can check themselves with answer sheets in the back of each workbook. Trainees may direct questions that arise either to the training coordinator or to MJTS by phone, fax, or email. Additional help is available for selected sections via the MJTS web site.

Once a trainee completes all units of instruction in a section, the training coordinator administers the section test, closed book. The trainee answers the multiple-choice questions, transferring them to an answer sheet, which the training coordinator faxes to MJTS. The staff at MJTS immediately corrects and grades the answer sheet and faxes it back, usually within minutes of receiving it. Help for select questions that are missed on the section test are supplied via an assist, which is faxed along with the graded answer sheet. The assist provides the correct answer, and detailed explanation that is enhanced by computer-generated graphics where appropriate.

Once a trainee finishes all nine section-tests, MJTS staff automatically mails a yearly final exam to the trainee's coordinator. The trainee takes the final exam after reviewing material in the list of competencies for that year of the program.

After completing all four years of instructional material, trainees take a comprehensive examination that tests their knowledge of all four years. Successful completion of the MJTS Training Program concurrent with a structured on-the-job training program demonstrates that the trainee has the knowledge and experience necessary to become a journeyman lineman.

MJTS sends monthly reports to each utility, and their statewide representatives, showing the activity of each Trainee. MJTS controls this managed training in order to maintain the integrity of the program.

On-the-job training (OJT) record keeping for the apprentice is an available option to those companies who wish to track on-the-job training hours for registering their people with the US Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training.

Note: The Merchant Training Program does not take the place of an in house safety program, or on-the-job training.

Military Approval

From time to time we have Employers and their Trainees contacting us requesting information as to the approval of our program by the military, or Veteran's Administration (VA). Trainees may have an opportunity for financial assistance if program is approved.

The Merchant JT&S Program has had a history of approval through the Federal Bureau of Apprentice & Training and several branches of the military service. The military has forwarded to us brochures to forward to our Trainees. However, the brochures tend to be outdated before we need them.

The quickest and most accurate way for you to check on the possibility of approval through the military is to check with your Company Commander (CO). We can forward information to you or your CO if you send to us the contact people and their address. Our fax number is: 605-697-6800, or voice phone number: 605-697-6587.