Discussion held with Senior Leaders on LUMA’s Historic Progress in Workforce Training through Groundbreaking Apprenticeship Program
San Juan, Puerto Rico, August 16, 2022 – On Monday, Aug. 15, the LUMA College for Technical Training hosted Julie Su, the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, in a roundtable discussion focused on the White House and Department of Labor’s commitment to advance workforce training in Puerto Rico. A key part of the discussion centered around the historic progress currently being made through the LUMA Lineworker Apprenticeship Program utilizing LUMA College for Technical Training, the success of which the Department of Labor has recognized as a model for future workforce development in Puerto Rico.
Involved in the roundtable discussion with Deputy Secretary Su were leaders and representatives from LUMA, including three graduates from the LUMA Apprenticeship Program, as well as Hector Reyes from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and Lorna Soto, Mayor of Canóvanas. Participants discussed both the challenges and successes of the training program and how the Department of Labor can continue to support and promote similar technical training programs throughout the island.
“We are all proud to have such a well-recognized, world-class team of trained lineworkers representing, not just LUMA, but the people of Puerto Rico,” said LUMA President and Chief Executive Officer Wayne Stensby. “LUMA is working hard every day to set the standard for utility workforce training in Puerto Rico and the broader utility industry, and we look forward to having many more discussions with the Department of Labor and others to see how we can work together to develop more apprenticeship programs to bring even more highly skilled and highly paid job opportunities to Puerto Rico.”
Founded in 2021, the LUMA Lineworker Apprenticeship Program is Puerto Rico’s first lineworker apprenticeship program to be certified by the U.S. Department of Labor in partnership with the IBEW Local 222. This first of its kind apprenticeship program currently has 75 participants, with a plan to hire 64 more through 2023, and is part of LUMA’s efforts to grow the next generation of Puerto Rican lineworkers who will help transform and rebuild the electric system in Puerto Rico.
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About LUMA
LUMA is a Puerto Rican company that, since June 1, 2021, operates and manages the electric power transmission and distribution system in Puerto Rico. LUMA is a company driven by a mission to transform the electrical transmission and distribution system to provide all Puerto Ricans with the reliable, resilient, cleaner, and affordable electrical grid they deserve. As a customer-centric company, LUMA’s entire workforce of more than 3,000 employees is focused on safely delivering an exceptional customer service experience to its 1.5 million customers.
About the LUMA College for Technical Training
LUMA College for Technical Training provides industry-leading educational opportunities for companies and individuals in charge of rebuilding electric power infrastructure in Puerto Rico with one goal in mind: to prepare the next set of lineworkers the people of Puerto Rico can rely on to rebuild and transform the current electric grid.
