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APS, Friendly House partner to offer utility lineworker scholarships
Scholarships available to students throughout Arizona
PHOENIX – Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) and Friendly House have partnered to award deserving individuals from throughout the state with scholarships to attend an electrical lineworker program at Yavapai Community College starting in Fall 2021. Each scholarship covers full tuition for the Electric Utility Lineworker Certificate program that readies graduates for a pre-apprentice position with utility companies like APS.
In 2019, APS and Friendly House partnered to create the APS Lineworker Scholarship program – a scholarship that promotes equality of opportunity, awareness and greater participation of under-represented groups in the electric utility lineworker workforce. According to Zippia, an online career research and information company, nearly 90% of individuals in the lineworker field are male and 79% are of White ethnicity.
Lineworkers in the United States make an average salary of $82,712 per year. Becoming a lineman includes completing an apprenticeship, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in occupations with apprenticeships to grow at least as fast as the average for all occupations—if not faster—during the decade 2016–2026. It is an essential role in an essential industry with strong growth opportunities and competitive pay and benefits, with this scholarship program one strategy for helping attract more people to the field.
“We launched the program with tuition assistance in mind, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg when you think about all the support these students receive throughout their journey in the program,” said Tina Marie Tentori, Director of Community Affairs for APS. “The program provides students with wrap-around support to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to apply for and secure a pre-apprentice lineworker position at a utility company.”
APS and Friendly House are now accepting applications for the second class of hopeful future lineworkers. Candidates will be selected based on financial need, understanding of the lineworker career field and additional eligibility requirements.
“The lineworker career is one that is often overlooked by students until they realize the high demand and high salary potential that a career in this field can bring,” said Jerry Mendoza, CEO of Friendly House Inc. “We want students from every walk of life to have an opportunity to achieve a rewarding career, and we’re honored to be a part of helping them get there.”
To date, APS and Friendly House have introduced more than 200 individuals to careers in energy through targeted outreach and pre-apprentice program information sessions and the first cohort of scholarship recipients achieved a 78% graduation rate.
Virtual informational sessions are available in April and May for those who are interested in learning more about the scholarship. The application is open now through June 4, 2021. To learn more or apply, visit friendlyhouse.org/aps-scholarship.
APS serves more than 1.3 million homes and businesses in 11 of Arizona’s 15 counties, and is a leader in delivering affordable, clean and reliable energy in the Southwest. The company is committed to serving customers with 100% clean power by 2050. As owner and operator of Palo Verde Generating Station, the nation’s largest producer of carbon-free electricity, and with one of the country’s most substantial renewable energy portfolios, APS’s current energy mix is 50% clean. With headquarters in Phoenix, APS is the principal subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW).
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