Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
Mandan, N.D. – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, celebrated the grand opening of the Lineworker Training Center and North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDAREC) headquarters facility.
“This is a special moment. My father was a lineworker and I spent three summers at Cass County Electric working with lineworkers; they are some of the most dedicated and skilled tradesmen. Lineworkers brave the freezing winter cold and the sweltering summer heat to ensure the lights stay on when we need it the most. The demand for this skill set is enormous and we need you. The North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives’ new facility will better equip, train, and educate the next generation of lineworkers. They have created a beautiful place conducive for work and learning,” said Senator Cramer.
Senator Cramer took the moment to speak directly to the lineworkers in attendance, calling them and their work, “among the most noble careers in our society.”
He wrapped up his comments calling our electric lineworkers “heroes whose work often prevents the need to call first responder heroes.”
The newly constructed 26,337-square-foot Lineworker Training Center will provide enhanced, year-round training for students of Bismarck State College’s (BSC) lineworker program and the electric cooperative workforce. The facility boasts an 18,000-square-foot indoor training arena and 50-foot walls with 44-foot ceiling clearance, providing opportunities for lineworkers and students to practice skills required for the construction and maintenance of overhead and underground electrical infrastructure. The facility also includes two classrooms for instruction and a simulator room for Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training.
NDAREC is the statewide trade association for 16 electric distribution cooperatives and five generation transmission cooperatives operating in North Dakota. The distribution cooperatives provide electricity to more than 250,000 North Dakotans across 64,000 miles of distribution line.
Background:
In May 2021, Senator Cramer participated in the facility’s groundbreaking ceremony. The facility’s construction was made possible through funds provided by the Trump Administration and the BSC’s 50-year partnership with NDAREC. At the time Senator Cramer said:
“It is an honor to be a part of today’s ceremony, which is the culmination of a decades-long partnership aimed at increasing educational opportunities, aligning our workforce’s skills with the state’s economic needs, and steering federal funds to important programs like this where we can see a high return on investment.”