Noah Johnson Daily Press Guests at the open house at North Country Heavy Equipment School in Escanaba got a chance to take a ride in the bucket truck as well as climb 50 foot polls Thursday.

ESCANABA — The public now has opportunity to train to be lineman in Escanaba. North Country Heavy Equipment School held an open house Thursday to show off what students can learn at the new North Country Electric Line School.

The school also offers a heavy equipment program as well as CDL training through the Midwest Truck Driving School, but it now has a school dedicated to electric line technicians.

A four-year project in the making, the electrical line school will host its first class on Aug. 19.

School Director Josh Barron was thrilled to have the open house and the turnout didn’t disappoint.

“This is the kind of event kickoff for this program, and to really see it come to fruition after four years is beyond exciting,” Josh said.

The school pulled out all the stops for guests, including a pole climbing activity, rides in the bucket truck, heavy equipment and log truck demonstrations.

“(It’s) really giving people a chance to actually climb poles or hop up in the bucket truck or learn how to operate some heavy equipment and get people interested in this trade,” Josh said.

The trade is intense, requiring roughly 16 weeks and 640 hours to complete the comprehensive training.

“This trade is a very fast-paced trade. It’s a very busy trade, there’s a lot going on. There’s a lot of great opportunities in it, but it’s a hard trade,” Josh said.

He explained that the job requires people to work in every kind of weather, operate heavy equipment and maybe most importantly, not be afraid of heights.

“That’s what’s required to be a good lineman,” Josh said.

According to a pamphlet handed out at the event, the electrical line program is the only program in the Midwest also offering heavy equipment training, log loader swamp mat handling, and Class A CDL license training integrated into the program.

Director of Admissions Kyle Barron said that people have been asking for a lineman school for a while and he is happy to have the program available now.

“We’re really excited to see it going. I mean, that class honestly filled up almost right away, I mean within the first week or two,” Kyle said.

Josh added that the community as well as the city are very supportive of the school.

“The community has been great, The City of Escanaba was here (and) they’ve donated a lot of equipment and pulls and all sorts of stuff and they’ve been so helpful in getting this program off the ground,” Josh said.

Guests were also treated to a meal featuring hamburgers, brats, chips and soda as well as the chance to win a prize in a raffle.

To apply, individuals must have a high school diploma or equivalent. No prior experience is needed but individuals should have a passion for the field as well as a commitment to safety. The training and subsequent career require individuals to be physically fit so they can climb poles and operate heavy machinery.

If you are unsure about the program, contact the admissions office to schedule a tour of the facility and equipment before enrolling.

To find out more about the North Country Electrical Line School as well as other programs, visit ncheschool.com.