A day in the life of a lineman apprentice on Hawaii Island

Linemen are considered first responders. They work long hours — rain or shine — to keep the lights on. One thing I learned is that you don’t just become a lineman. It’s a process that starts with the role of senior helper. Individuals must pass tests and complete three years of rigorous on-the-job paid training as a lineman apprentice before becoming a journeyman lineman. It’s rare that our crews have the time to show us what their job looks like, but this day was calmer than normal — at least when I was visiting — so, I had the unique opportunity to join Kent Grace in Kona for a day in the life of a lineman apprentice on Hawaii Island.

Before we get into the day, I want to share a little backstory. Kent was born and raised in Hilo and attended Waiakea High School. His background was originally in carpentry, and for six years, he taught construction at Waiakea High School through Hilo Community College. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, his teaching job came to a halt, and he moved on to explore other opportunities. Kent began his career at Hawaiian Electric as a temporary Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) meter installer.

“Fortunately, the company made an effort to find full-time roles for the temporary hires, and I was able to learn about an opening to become a lineman apprentice,” said Kent. So, he passed the tests, and now he is in year two of his lineman apprenticeship.

Kent is based out of Hilo, but on this day, we were in Kona with the rest of the Hilo and Kona linemen apprentices. You might be wondering, “Why did the Hilo apprentices have to go to Kona?” I was wondering the same thing. Kent explained that Hilo has a lot less underground infrastructure, and so to learn about underground work, they need to go to Kona.

On this day, the apprentices were completing the final stage of an underground project along Alii Drive. I followed Kent to a manhole where the rest of the crew was gathered. Two apprentices and a journeyman lineman were in the manhole, while the rest of the apprentices were observing, passing equipment and supplies down, and getting an in-depth explanation from the working foreman about what was happening. Kent explained to me that normally they do not travel in a pack like this and instead are split up into smaller groups. However, since they were concluding this project, and it was not as busy, all the apprentices were able to gather in one spot to learn and assist.

I learned a lot about their work process and safety procedures. For example, the yellow tube is ventilation for the crew members in the manhole. Kent also mentioned to me that they set up the tents for additional shade, to do their best to keep the guys in the manhole cool, and that those on the outside have additional safety devices to get the linemen out of the manhole quickly if something happens.

After the guys in the manhole completed their work, the working foreman went down to check everything, and our groups split up to go to different sites with transformer boxes to begin re-energizing the circuit and verifying that their work was done correctly.

As apprentices, they are always accompanied by journeymen linemen who will show them how to complete new tasks, give them explanations, and review their work. Kent was in a group with one other apprentice, along with a journeyman lineman, and we travelled together to check on transformer boxes near a wastewater plant, as well as in front of Keauhou Shopping Center.

While the crew was making their rounds in small groups, a trouble call came in for a downed power line at Greenwell Farms in South Kona. Immediately, everyone began to shift tasks. The crew made sure that what they were currently working on was complete or in stable and safe condition, so that they could pivot from their underground project to respond to the trouble call.

When we got to the farm, there were already crew members on the scene investigating and calling the rest of the crew to let them know what type of materials were needed for the repair. As it turns out, an excavator-type machine had caught the telephone lines, pulling down a pole and the lines, so they would have to do a full pole replacement. I didn’t get to stay for the full repair job, but seeing how the crew must continuously adapt to changing scenarios and shift tasks as emergencies arise was enlightening.

It was a great learning experience for me to witness their on-the-job training! There are so many safety measures and other factors impacting the completion of their work. Effective communication is essential for the crew’s safety, because electricity is not very forgiving of mistakes. I was lucky to catch Kent and the crew on a less busy day. Our crews are always hard at work, completing different resiliency projects and responding to trouble calls. The linemen apprentices are learning while doing dangerous work, in all types of weather conditions, including the recent Kona Low storms, to keep the lights on for our communities.

“My advice for anyone interested in being a lineman apprentice is to come in with an open mind,” says Kent. “There’s nothing that can prepare you for this job and this type of work, so keep an open mind when you get here because there is a lot to learn.”

Watch the full video of “A day in the life of a lineman apprentice” with Kent Grace.

Learn more about our linemen apprenticeship program at: hawaiianelectric.com/careers/apprenticeship-program

Interested in becoming a lineman? Stay updated on job postings for a senior helper at: hawaiianelectric.com/careers