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Joe T. Robinson High School students get a firsthand look at Entergy Arkansas careers
03/26/2025
Entergy Arkansas hosted a group of students from Joe T. Robinson High School in Little Rock as they stepped out of the classroom and into the field to visit the Baseline Service and Training Center. The trip provided students with an up-close look at the day-to-day operations of lineworkers and the essential role they play in the community.
The students observed lineworkers, who are currently in the company’s “boot camp,” demonstrating how they repair power lines, toured the equipment yard and learned about the technology used to maintain electrical infrastructure. Employees shared insights into careers in utility maintenance, engineering and emergency response.
The lineworkers boot camp is a training program that introduces new hires to the fundamentals of working with high-voltage electrical equipment and helps explain the key principle of safety as a core value. Trainees learn through classroom instruction and practice on real, but unenergized, equipment.
Boot camp is followed by a four-year apprenticeship before earning the designation of journeyman lineworker. The apprenticeship includes the paid-work component and the instructional component, where new employees acquire workplace-relevant knowledge and skills deemed necessary by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers to become a certified lineworker.
When disasters occur, lineworkers average 16-hour workdays and must be generally in good health, because one key skill required is setting and climbing power poles. Every day functions include installing fixtures such as breaker boxes, switches and motor controls to generate, transmit and distribute energy safely.
The visit was arranged through the company’s partnership with the Academies of Central Arkansas, which connects students with local businesses to help them explore potential career paths. This program is a community-wide transformation of the public high school experience for students in the Jacksonville North Pulaski, Little Rock, North Little Rock and Pulaski County Special School Districts.
“Our goal is to expose students to careers that are available in Central Arkansas,” said Markous Jewett, vice president of the Academies of Central Arkansas. “We have a great business community in the area, and we are thankful for their commitment to help these students find their career path.”
The Academies of Central Arkansas ensure that all scholars graduate ready for college, ready for careers, ready for enlistment and ready to be life-long learners. The program includes a series of field trips, job shadowing opportunities and industry workshops to expose students to high-demand professions in their community.
“This program exposes our students to different options to explore after they graduate from high school,” said Felicia Wheat, lead academy coach for the Pulaski County Special School District. “We are grateful for businesses like Entergy because they do a wonderful job showing so many different routes within one business that students can explore.”
For some students, the visit sparked new career ambitions. Senior Ayden Merritt said he was already considering becoming a lineworker after graduation and after speaking with employees from Entergy Arkansas, he is more confident than ever.
“This whole experience has been awesome. I don’t think I could have gotten this knowledge without being here and talking with some of the team about the community they have with each other.”
“We’re excited to provide students with an experience to talk to our employees,” said Katherine Holmstrom, business expansion and retention representative for Entergy Arkansas. “We want to provide first-hand knowledge of the challenges our teams face each day and hopefully help students figure out if this is something they would enjoy doing in process.”
Entergy Arkansas employees also discussed the growing demand for skilled workers in the utility sector and the benefits of pursuing careers in the field. The company offers apprenticeships, technical training programs and entry-level positions for those interested in careers ranging from engineering to customer service.
“I really enjoy teaching and having the chance to see the students’ eyes light up when we talk about the career opportunities with the company is fun,” said David Fleeman, senior lead training specialist for Entergy Arkansas. “I teach classes at Baseline and Pulaski Tech and just like giving students information about our growing industry.”
The Academies of Central Arkansas at Robinson High School will continue to offer similar visits throughout the year, introducing students to various career opportunities at Entergy Arkansas. If you are interested in joining the team, visit our careers website at https://jobs.entergy.com.
