FirstEnergy's Ohio Utilities Welcome New Line and Substation Graduates from Training Program

Company is transitioning to a new, paid apprentice program

AKRON, Ohio, July 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) Ohio subsidiaries Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison have hired a combined 46 graduates of Power Systems Institute (PSI), a two-year educational program that helps prepare the next generation of line and substation workers for FirstEnergy's 10 electric companies. This will be one of the last graduating classes of PSI as the company transitions to a new, paid apprentice program to best meet the needs of future line and substation personnel.

The new employees include 33 line workers and 13 substation electricians who completed the PSI training program in partnership with Stark State College in North Canton, Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) in Cleveland and Owens Community College in Perrysburg, earning their associate of applied science degree in Electric Utility Technology. 

"These men and women have dedicated themselves to their education, and we look forward to these graduates joining our workforce and making lives brighter in the communities we serve," said Patricia Mullin, acting president of FirstEnergy's Ohio operations.  

The new Ohio Edison employees and their hometowns are:

• Brendan Bockelman, Cortland (line worker)
• Andrew Carr, Alliance (line worker)
• Jon Cina, Austintown (line worker)
• Benjamin D'Andrea, Fowler (line worker)
• David Duvall, Struthers (line worker)
• Nathan Geer, Akron (substation electrician)
• Jeffery Griffith, Mogadore (substation electrician)
• Eric Kaszowski, North Jackson (substation electrician)
• Chandler Keener, Orrville (line worker)
• Daniel Kotyk, Uniontown (line worker)
• Jacob Pagas, Dover (line worker)
• Zach Richards, Austintown (line worker)
• Jacob Saborse, Lordstown (substation electrician)
• Nicholas Thompson, North Canton (substation electrician)
• Timothy Wack, Alliance (line worker)
• Hayden Youngblood, Atwater (line worker)

The new Illuminating Company employees and their hometowns are:

• Joel Barker, Albion, Pa. (line worker)
• Brandon Bayus, Sagamore Hills (line worker)
• Santino Colabianchi, Berea (substation electrician)
• Tyler Czerwinski, Willoughby (line worker)
• Michael Ellis, Thompson (substation electrician)
• Jamarr Greer, Cleveland (line worker)
• Kevin Habeeb, Cleveland (substation electrician)
• David Haldi, North Ridgeville (substation electrician)
• Shaun Jackson, Painesville (line worker)
• Tyler Jenkins, Avon Lake (line worker)
• Noah Kneier, Painesville (line worker)
• Gino Lavalle, North Royalton (substation electrician)
• Mark Malone, Painesville (line worker)
• Shobi Maynard, Amherst (line worker)
• Joseph Romano, North Royalton (line worker)
• Robert Sadd, Willoughby (line worker)
• Nathan Smith, Valley City (line worker)
• Nathan Snyderburn, Chardon (line worker)
• Donald Tucker, Warren (substation electrician)
• Ryan Winkel, Westlake (line worker)

The new Toledo Edison employees and their hometowns are:

• Tyson Bauknight, Toledo (line worker)
• Kyle Blaze, Toledo (substation electrician)
• Wyatt Brown, Norwalk (line worker)
• Jonathon Byczynski, Holland (line worker)
• Devon Cleghorn, Maumee (line worker)
• Austin Haney, Delta (line worker)
• Keaton Heckman, Lindsey (line worker)
• Jacob Jude, Martin (substation electrician)
• Simon Munger, Delta (line worker)
• Kyle Whitaker, Holland (line worker)

PSI students split time between classes at Stark State, Tri-C, Owens and company training facilities in Massillon, Warren, Lakewood, Clinton and Brooklyn. Since the program's inception, FirstEnergy has hired more than 2,800 line and substation personnel who completed PSI programs in New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia.

To help address the continuing need for new line workers, FirstEnergy is transitioning to a paid apprentice program that will consist of more on-the-job training with seasoned bargaining unit employees, offer opportunities for relationship-building with local department personnel from the outset of the training program and continue with classroom requirements to gain a deeper understanding of the electric industry.

"PSI has served us well for many years, and we believe an apprenticeship program is more in step with today's competitive labor market and is being successfully utilized by a number of our electric industry peers," said Mullin. 

Ohio Edison serves more than one million customers across 34 Ohio counties. Follow Ohio Edison on Twitter @OhioEdison, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OhioEdison, and online at www.ohioedison.com.

The Illuminating Company serves 755,000 customers across Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake and Lorain counties. Connect with The Illuminating Company at www.illuminatingcompany.com, on Twitter @IlluminatingCo and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/IlluminatingCo.

Toledo Edison serves nearly 315,000 customers in northwest Ohio. Follow Toledo Edison on Twitter @ToledoEdison or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ToledoEdison.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp or online at www.firstenergycorp.com.

Editor's Note:  Photos of FirstEnergy's Power Systems Institute training program are available for download on Flickr.

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.