Power move: Local residents graduate from utility training program at Tri-C

Ryan Ladegaard of Bay Village and Jeremy Simon of Westlake have been hired by FirstEnergy Corp. after graduating from the company’s utility worker training program at Cuyahoga Community College.

Ladegaard and Simon were among 22 graduates in the first class since FirstEnergy reinstituted the Power Systems Institute (PSI) training program at Tri-C in 2014.

The two-year program combines hands-on utility skills training at a FirstEnergy facility in Brooklyn with technical coursework taught in Tri-C classrooms. Graduates earn an Associate of Technical Studies degree with a focus on electric power utility technology.

The program is a partnership between the college and The Illuminating Company, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy. PSI is part of the utility’s ongoing efforts to enhance service reliability for Northeast Ohio customers. 

“The PSI program is an effective pipeline for adding well-trained, highly skilled employees to our workforce,” said John Skory, regional president of The Illuminating Company. “By teaming with our veteran linemen as part of the training process, these new employees will help ensure reliable service for our customers, now and in the future.”

Ladegaard and Simon will work for The Illuminating Company.