CTE teacher rides along with Pascagoula line crew

A team from the Pascagoula line crew recently replaced a rotten cross-arm on a distribution pole on Dutch Bayou Road. In addition to the occasional car that passed by, the team had a special guest watching them put up the new fiberglass equipment.

Darick Thompson, a teacher at Pascagoula High School’s College & Career Technical Institute, was with the crew to observe their work. Thompson spent the week with the crew, watching how they interact with each other, how seriously they take the topic of safety, and more.

“Teamwork is the most vital element out here. You cannot work individually here. You must work as a team,” said Thompson. “These guys work like a family. They’re communicating about safety, about the job, about every aspect of what they’re doing.”

Pascagoula’s Technical Institute is one of the largest in Mississippi, offering nearly 20 courses to students ranging from welding and I&C to business marketing and health sciences.

Thompson spent a week at Plant Daniel last year, interacting with the operators and mechanics who generate power for our customers. Now he’s added a rotation in Power Delivery to his ever-expanding tool belt.

“It’s incredibly educational for me to have the opportunity to see, up-close-and-personal, how this work gets done,” said Thompson. “If my students can get hired by Mississippi Power, they can stay home and have a meaningful career. I’m thankful to be out here with this team.”

Lead Lineman Ezell Johnson said the crew was excited to have Thompson spend time with them, and even asked for his feedback on how they worked and communicated with one another.

“Knowledge-wise, everyone wanted to give Mr. Thompson everything we have, from apprentices all the way to the LCMS,” said Johnson. “We’re giving him information that he can take back to his students for them to apply to their studies. It’s been great having him with us this week.”

Now in its 97th year of operations, Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), produces safe, reliable and affordable energy for nearly 191,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. Mississippi Power recently was a recipient of the Community Partner Impact Award from the Center for Energy Workforce Development for its innovative and ongoing efforts to build a diverse workforce. With nearly 160 megawatts of approved solar energy capacity, Mississippi Power is the largest partner in providing renewable energy in the state of Mississippi. Visit our websites at mississippipower.com and mississippipowernews.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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