AMP Opens 10,000-Square-Foot Expansion of Member Training Center

COLUMBUS, OH: AMP has opened a 10,000-square-foot expansion of the AMP Member Training Center, a major project that marks further investment in the AMP Lineworker Training Program.

The AMP Board of Trustees approved the expansion, and the construction of the new building took place over the last year. On March 18, the AMP Board toured the newly expanded facility, which will host the first class of lineworkers in May.

“This expansion of the AMP Member Training Center represents a major investment in the future of the communities that AMP serves,” said Jolene Thompson, AMP President and CEO. “By providing year-round training and expanded hands-on learning opportunities, we are supporting the needs of the utility professionals in our Member communities. This facility reinforces AMP’s commitment to equipping our Members with the resources they need to serve their customer-owners.”

The expansion of the AMP Member Training Center adds 8,000 square feet of new training space, including a 60-foot-tall indoor climbing area designed to accommodate removable poles that are 40 feet and taller. This new indoor climbing space will allow for year-round training, which was a frequent request from AMP Member utilities. In addition, the expansion allows for more than 10 new lab spaces that will support expanded hands-on instruction in reclosers, undergrounding, transformers, metering, distribution components and more.

“The indoor training space will enable AMP to conduct lineworker training all year long, no matter the weather,” said Michelle Palmer, PE, Vice President of Technical Services and Compliance. “This facility represents an important next step in the growth of AMP’s Technical Training Program. Training is a key service that AMP offers Members and is an important element in the ability of Member utilities to achieve and maintain a high degree of safety and reliability in customer service.”

AMP’s training program has experienced great growth over the years. About 1,500 lineworkers from 91 Member communities and six states have trained at AMP over the past 28 years. In addition, AMP now has two Apprenticeship Programs — Lineworker Apprenticeship Training and Power Plant Operator Training — that are approved for U.S. Department of Labor certifications. This distinction means that any utility employee from an AMP Member community, regardless of which state they work in, who completes one of AMP’s registered training programs will receive a nationally recognized DOL certification for that training.