Increasingly, companies are cutting back on their training programs and expecting applicants to have taken classes at community colleges and vocational schools. Line installers and cable splicers employed by electric companies and construction firms often complete a formal apprenticeship program. The employer and a union usually sponsor the training program together. Either the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers or the Communications Workers of America union is involved in the apprenticeship of line installers and cable splicers. In addition to line installation, they may also learn other skills, such as telephone installation and repair.
Many workers receive some training on computers or from movies.
They may learn pole skills by spending time on poles in the training facility. Equipment manufacturers sponsor some training. Classroom training covers electrical codes, blueprint reading, and basic electrical theory. In the field, trainees work with a crew of experienced workers. Line installers and cable splicers receive training throughout their careers so that they keep up with technological changes.