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New scholarship offered for electrical line worker training
Now in its sixteenth year, Southwestern Electric Cooperative’s Scholarship Program is undergoing some significant modifications. In 2010 the cooperative will increase the amount awarded from $500 to $1,000 per student, and begin offering a specialized $2,500 scholarship for electrical line worker training. Southwestern has also streamlined its scholarship application form so that it is easier to complete.
“College has gotten a lot more expensive over the years. At some schools, $500 doesn’t even cover the cost of books for one semester,” points out Susan File, director of member services. “We wanted to give the program a bit of a ‘face lift’ to make sure our scholarships could keep pace with the cost of education.”
The cooperative will award three $1,000 scholarships in each of its three voting districts. Separate scholarships are available for high school seniors graduating in 2010 as well as students who graduated from high school in previous years. One additional scholarship, funded by the Quercus Grove Rural Club, will be given to a qualified student from Madison County.
For the first time in the program’s history, Southwestern is also offering a scholarship specifically designated for electrical line worker training.
“We decided to add this to our scholarship offerings for a couple of reasons,” explains Ann Schwarm, Southwestern Electric board member and chairwoman of the Scholarship Committee. “First, we want to encourage young men and women to consider career opportunities in the electric industry, and particularly with co-ops. Second, electric utilities all across the state will be losing a great number of experienced line workers to retirement in the next several years, and we feel it’s important to get some new talent in the pipeline.”
The Electrical Line Worker Scholarship can be used toward tuition costs for any accredited line worker training program. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age, provide proof of acceptance for full-time enrollment in an accredited training school, and undergo an intensive interview at the co-op’s office. The scholarship recipient is not guaranteed an offer of employment with Southwestern Electric Cooperative upon completing the training.
Since the scholarship program’s inception in 1995, Southwestern Electric has awarded $143,000 in scholarships to a total of 286 students.
For more information on Southwestern Electric’s scholarships, please contact Susan File at susan.file@sweci.com or (800) 637-8667, ext. 5924.
Southwestern Electric Cooperative, 525 US Route 40, Greenville, IL 62246. Ph: 800.637.8667 Email: info@sweci.com