Breaking Ground: Clover Park Launches Lineworker & Arboriculture Program
On Tuesday, August 26, Clover Park Technical College (CPTC) officially broke ground on its new Lineworker & Arboriculture Program with a pole yard training facility on its Lakewood campus—a major step forward for the future of blue-collar careers in Pierce County and beyond.
The groundbreaking drew a crowd that reflected the spirit of collaboration behind this program: college leadership, elected officials, industry partners, union representatives, and community members. Among the attendees were folks whose early advocacy helped make this vision a reality.
CPTC President Dr. Joyce Loveday emphasized the program’s potential to meet a critical workforce need while opening doors for local residents to living-wage careers.
Building Pathways to Power
The new pole yard facility, highly visible from Steilacoom Boulevard and Lakewood Drive SW, will feature up to 70 poles of various sizes, types, and materials to simulate real-world linework conditions. The space will serve as a hands-on lab where students can safely develop skills for careers in utility linework, vegetation management, telecommunications installation, and more.
The program, which launches in Fall 2025, was born from collaborative discussions between CPTC leadership, IBEW Local 483, the Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC), and the Vocational Outside Line Training Academy (VOLTA).
“This is a historic shift in workforce training,” said PCCLC President, CPTC Trustee, and retired Business Manager of IBEW 483, Alice Phillips. Alice began advocating for the creation of a lineworker program when she joined the Board of Trustees in 2021. “In this collaboration, unions, technical colleges, and management of construction companies are collectively establishing a viable pathway toward a sustainable, living-wage career.”
Representatives of IBEW Local 483 echoed that sentiment, praising the program’s ability to make training more accessible, local, and union-connected—critical for meeting the region’s growing demand for skilled lineworkers.
Industry and Community Support
Local utility partners, like Lakeview Light & Power, have pledged support. “We are proud to support a local program that provides better visibility and opportunity for careers within the skilled trades, especially those related to the electric distribution line trade,” said John DeVore, General Manager of Lakeview Light & Power.
With the program’s stackable credentials, students will have flexible entry points and opportunities to earn certifications such as a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL)—often a requirement for lineworker apprenticeships.
Why This Matters to Labor in Pierce County
This program represents what’s possible when labor, education, and industry work together: creating opportunities, building equity, and investing in the skilled trades that keep our communities running. It’s a blueprint for the type of collaborative, forward-thinking workforce development that unions across Pierce County have championed for over 135 years.
Classes begin Fall Quarter 2025. Learn more about the program and its enrollment process at https://cptc.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2025-2026/catalog/program-descriptions/lineman-and-arboriculture.