PSO is partnering with Oklahoma State University -Okmulgee by offering more than $12,000 to create a new “Powering the Next Generation” scholarship program that targets students who major in high-voltage line construction.  Deadline to make application for the scholarship is April 27.

“The utility industry continues to deal with a shortage of line workers. PSO is stepping up to offer a new scholarship to qualified high school graduates or students earning a GED who want to pursue a technical career in the utility industry,” said Preston Kissman, PSO vice president, Distribution. “If a student enjoys challenging and interesting projects and working in the community to make a difference, a degree in line construction at OSU-Okmulgee is the place for them to enroll.”

According to a 2002 report by the U.S. Department of Labor, the job outlook for the trained high-voltage line workers is expected to increase 10% to 20% through the year 2012. The High-Voltage Construction program at OSU-Okmulgee provides hands-on and classroom training for technical careers in the utility industry.

“PSO is proud to partner with OSU-Okmulgee to create this scholarship program to encourage more students who have completed high school or GED classes or studied at a technical center, to consider the electric utility industry as a career,” Kissman added.

OSU-Okmulgee recognized the need for increasing the number of high-voltage line workers when it created this career course. Increased demand and paid internships are encouraging more students to pursue a career as a high-voltage line worker, and the new PSO scholarships should provide an added boost to the school’s program.

Students at Oklahoma State University-Okmulgee learn the skills needed while earning an Associate Degree in Applied Science in High-Voltage line work. Upon completion of the two-year program, the graduates may be able to work for PSO and other electric utilities or contractors around the state.

According to OSU-Okmulgee, students can gain real life experience by participating in various internships with potential utility employers, such as PSO. The employers pay the students while they’re interning, which helps the students with the costs of attending school. OSU-Okmulgee’s current students earn between $8 and $18 per hour during their internship, depending on the employer.
 
PSO, a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), is an electric utility company serving approximately 520,000 customers in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma.  Based in Tulsa, PSO has more than 4,000 megawatts of generating capacity, and is the largest provider of wind energy in the state.