Jackson EMC was established in 1938 as an electric distribution cooperative to serve rural Northeast Georgia. Today, Jackson EMC is one of the largest electric cooperatives in the nation with four district offices, plus a corporate campus, servicing 10 counties in Northeast Georgia, providing power to more than 237,000 meters on 14,360 miles of lines with 81 substations.
In 1997 Jackson EMC transitioned from the TVPPA Lineman Training Program to an "in-house" Lineman Training Program. Due to the Special Emphasis Program place on the electric distribution industry by OSHA, Jackson EMC has emphasized training and education in all aspects of the electric distribution industry. Jackson EMC continually meets or exceeds all safety standards instruct, and instructors remain updated in all standards and regulations through Georgia EMC (statewide) as well as the OSHA Training Institute at Georgia Tech. Jackson EMC continually updates all training programs and presents them to the entire employee base on an annual basis in an attempt to improve the safety, health and well-being of its employee base.
Apprentices safely build, maintain and repair the power grid. Currently, Jackson EMC has 54 employees in the Lineman Apprentice program. This apprenticeship program is a seven-year program with eight levels. The program is reviewed annually to ensure it meets industry standards and current safety protocols.
Our apprenticeship program includes both on-the-job training with a minimum of 10,000 hours upon completion of the program as well as classroom instruction that is taught through face to face instruction and online materials.