A workforce development program at Drake State Community and Technical College is designed to help students build a pipeline to a new career.

“Dig the Line,” a hands-on class where students operate heavy equipment on a work site, is sponsored by Huntsville Utilities.

“There are 10 students and the class filled up right away,” said Joseph Bevel, Drake State director of workforce development. “It’s maxed at 10 students to give them plenty of hands-on experience.

“Huntsville Utilities would be interested in the students when they complete the program. Private contractors, also.”

The class takes three weeks, Bevel said. Week 1 is OSHA safety and certification and getting acquainted with the equipment.

Week 2 is “all about excavation. The class simulates an actual work site,” he said.

At the site, which is behind the campus, students perform all the duties in digging a trench laying a pipe: operate an excavator, backhoe, “jumping jack” tamper, and skid steer, and serve as traffic enforcement holding “Stop” and “Slow” signs.

Then, the next day, they return to the site to remove the pipe, simulating the work if the pipe were damaged.

And it’s in all sorts of weather.

This week, the students dealt with the mud and standing water from the recent rains, as well as the humid afternoons.

“Huntsville Utilities doesn’t take weather delays,” Bevel said. “We try to make it as realistic as possible.”

The third week, the students are inside and practice in a tall cylinder simulating a manhole. They also undergo certificate testing which provides the step they need to start a career in utilities.

“This compares to the line workers program,” said Doug Brazier, Drake State dean of workforce development. “There’s no guarantee of a job but this gives them a step up when they go job searching.”

Workforce development programs like the Underground Utilities Course give young people direct access to industry-recognized credentials and hands-on training that connect them to living-wage careers.

“This is a wonderful collaboration,” said Dr. Harry Hobbs, Huntsville Utilities vice president of employee engagement. “This will help young folks get basic skills to perform underground work and make them more marketable.”

Hobbs said the program helps Huntsville meet a growing shortage of skilled utilities workers. Also, the profession, like many others, is aging out.

“We’ve got to get that new generation and make it local and cost-effective,” he said. “We want to give the students a basic understanding of utilities.”

Hobbs said Huntsville Utilities and Drake State officials met for several months to hammer out a curriculum. And, through its Innovation Dividend Fund, Huntsville Utilities provides a limited number of scholarships for the program.

Huntsville Utilities provides subject matter experts from the workforce to host the training, Hobbs said. The collaboration ensures that students receive industry-relevant insights and hands-on training, setting them up for success in the field.

This is the second workforce development program between Drake State and Huntsville Utilities.

In 2023, they established a Gas and Water Operation Certification Scholarship Program. The four-week program provides alternative pathways to entering the workforce and enrich the pool of potential candidates for gas and water operation careers at Huntsville Utilities and other prospective local employers.