West Penn Power Adds New Line and Substation Employees from Power Systems Institute Training Program

GREENSBURG, Pa., July 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- West Penn Power, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), has hired 17 graduates of Power Systems Institute (PSI), the company's award-winning, two-year educational program that helps prepare the next generation of line and substation workers for FirstEnergy's 10 electric utility companies.

The new employees include 11 lineworkers who are recent graduates of the PSI training partnership established with Westmoreland County Community College in Youngwood, Pennsylvania, in 2012. In addition, six new substation electricians graduated from Pennsylvania Highlands Community College in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

"The PSI program continues to produce well-trained, highly skilled employees to provide safe, reliable electric service for our customers," said Scott Wyman, president of Pennsylvania Operations. "The new graduates will work shoulder-to-shoulder with our veteran line workers and substation personnel and fill key jobs as current employees retire."

The new West Penn Power lines employees listed by work locations and hometowns are:

• Charleroi Service Center – Jacob Huber, Ruffsdale
• Boyce Service Center – Colin Patton, Pittsburgh
• Butler Service Center – Luke Wilson, Harmony
• Clarion Service Center – Seth Dunkle, Sigel
• Jeannette Service Center – Salvatore Pomponi, Greensburgh; Tara Swiklinski, Natrona
• Jefferson Service Center – Jonathan Sims, Jeanette
• Pleasant Valley Service Center – Trevor Mason, Mt. Pleasant
• Washington Service Center – Zach Andoga, McKees Rocks
• Waynesboro Service Center – Kevin Carbaugh, Chambersburg; Benjamin Koser, Shippensburg

The new West Penn Power substation employees listed by work locations and hometowns are:

• Arnold Service Center – Eric Hyland, Export
• Butler Service Center – Phillip Grainger, Hudson, Ohio
• Jeannette Service Center – Eric Eckman, Dayton; Hunter Miller, Fenelton
• Jefferson Service Center – David Sylvia, Apollo
• Pleasant Valley Service Center – Lee Newcomer, Mount Pleasant

The PSI curriculum for line employees requires two and a half days each week spent at Westmoreland County Community College completing academic course work, with the remainder of the week spent at a West Penn Power training facility in Jeanette, Pennsylvania. The PSI curriculum for substation employees requires a half week spent at Pennsylvania Highlands completing academic course work, with the rest of the week spent at a FirstEnergy training facility in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. All students focus on safe work practices and procedures in the electrical environment. The graduates earned an associate of applied science degree in Electric Utility Technology.

Since the program was developed in 2000, FirstEnergy has hired more than 2,400 line workers and substation personnel who completed PSI programs in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia.

For information about how to enroll in the PSI program, call 1-800-829-6801, or visit www.firstenergycorp.com/psi.

West Penn Power serves approximately 725,000 customers in 24 counties within central and southwestern Pennsylvania. Follow West Penn Power on Twitter @W_Penn_Power and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WestPennPower.

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 online at www.firstenergycorp.com and on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp.

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

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.