MOUNTAIN VIEW — Bridger Valley Electric linemen visited Mountain View High School Career Technical Education Classes Tuesday, May 18, with their high voltage trailer.

The event was set to show students electrical safety, electrical powerline transmission and to discuss potential career opportunities both locally and globally related to being an apprentice or journeyman lineman.

BVEA journeyman lineman Quint Rickets and second year apprentice lineman Blace Martin visited with the MVHS Woods and Ag Mechanics classes and showed students the ropes of being a linesman at a rural electric cooperative.

“I knew I didn’t want to just go to college,” Rickets told students. “I didn’t want to be in the classroom anymore. I just wanted to go to work and I found this path.”

“I think we’ve sparked a fire in some of our students,” MVHS Woods and CTE teacher Quinn Martin said. “This is such an excellent career path and opportunity for any student. The pay, the benefits, the quality of work, the lifestyle, we are just trying to get more students to realize additional post-secondary options.”

“College may not be for everyone,” apprentice lineman Blace Martin - an MVHS graduate - told students. “Some companies are paying students to get their education as an apprentice electrician or lineman. It is such an opportunity for so many young people.”

There is a shortage of qualified tradespeople across Wyoming and the country available to service the needs of the population. There are numerous opportunities for students who are serious about going to work and make an excellent living wage in the trades right after high school.

“There is just such a huge hole in the quality of jobs available in the trades,” Martin emphasized. “Hopefully having such a strong partnership with BVEA will open doors for some of our students. There are only going to be more opportunities for recent graduates to get into this field and to work with such a quality operation such as Bridger Valley Electric.”