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

Company is transitioning to a new, paid apprentice program

GREENSBURG, Pa., July 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Corp's (NYSE: FE) Pennsylvania subsidiaries – Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power and West Penn Power – have hired a combined 72 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 54 line workers and 18 substation electricians who completed PSI offered at Reading Area Community College in Reading; Westmoreland County Community College in Youngwood; Pennsylvania Highlands Community College in Johnstown and Edinboro University in Erie.

"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 Scott Wyman, president of FirstEnergy's Pennsylvania operations.

The new Met-Ed employees and their hometowns are:

• Matthew Bonieski, Bangor (line worker)
• Dylan Brogna, Stroudsburg (line worker)
• Joshua Brumley, York (line worker)
• Josh Doyle, Beloit, Ohio (substation electrician)
• Tristan Dumire, Beverly, West Virginia (line worker)
• Collin Foster, Sinking Spring (line worker)
• Andrew Hasenauer, Blandon (substation electrician)
• Ethan Himes, Boyertown (substation electrician)
• Kevin Kuhn, Honey Brook (substation electrician)
• Anthony McCue, Saylorsburg (line worker)
• Michael McCue, Saylorsburg (line worker)
• Austin Miller, Myerstown (line worker)
• Connor Reed, Spring Grove (line worker)
• Wyatt Rich, Easton (line worker)
• Katie Sampson, Warren (substation electrician)
• Timothy Sampson, Warren (substation electrician)
• Danie Schower, Denver (substation electrician)
• Todd Spencer, Frametown (line worker)
• Brandon Taylor, Bangor (line worker)
• Chase Taylor, Mohnton (line worker)
• Mason Wagaman, York (line worker)
• Dale Warriner, Bechtelsville (line worker)

The new Penelec employees and their hometowns are:

• Samuel Alexander, Meadville (line worker)
• Matthew Bowser, Stroudsburg (line worker)
• Parker Brewster, York (line worker)
• Philip Bruck, Elton (line worker)
• Brett Crispell, Wysox (line worker)
• Austin Crocker, Fishertown (line worker)
• Garett Dishhong, Mineral Point (line worker)
• Cody Dressler, Edinboro (line worker)
• Dylan Gongloff, Nanty Glo (substation electrician)
• Cody Hamula, Johnstown (line worker)
• Brady Haun, Hollidaysburg (line worker)
• Damon Hesley, Hollidaysburg (substation electrician)
• Connor Jones, Franklin (line worker)
• Ryan Kipp, Mehoopany (line worker)
• Daniel Kowalski, McKean (line worker)
• Derek Linnes, Titusville (line worker)
• Samuel Marker, Garrett (line worker)
• Samuel Nicklas, Erie (line worker)
• Gavin Patterson, Belleville (substation electrician)
• Jeremy Piatak, Portage (substation electrician)
• Zachary Smith, Ridgeway (line worker)
• Clayton Watkins, Towanda (line worker)
• Rylan White, McVeytown (line worker)
• Ryan Whitehead, Philipsburg (line worker)

The new Penn Power employees and their hometowns are:

• Richard Bledsoe, Jr., Campbell, Ohio (line worker)
• Rodney Garrett, Jr., Hermitage (substation electrician)
• Calvin Hughes, Ellwood City (line worker)
• Cody Lehman, New Castle (line worker)
• Austin McBride, Enon Valley (line worker)
• Bryson Reither, Stoneboro (line worker)

The new West Penn Power employees and their hometowns are:

• Tanner Barnhart, Hunker (line worker)
• Nathan Beers, Smithmill (substation electrician)
• Colton Brown, Monogahela (line worker)
• Logan Byerly, Brookville (line worker)
• Shane Daugherty, Evans City (line worker)
• Brock Eshelman, Northern Cambria (line worker)
• Parker Fleming, Brookville (line worker)
• Richard Goodman, Chicora (substation electrician)
• Mark Harris, Allison (line worker)
• Josh Hepler, Worthington (line worker)
• Gregory Kircheis, Jr., Ford City (line worker)
• Jonathan Krug, St. Marys (substation electrician)
• Andrew Maher, Uniontown (line worker)
• Samuel Marsh, Acme (substation electrician)
• Evan Martin, Waynesboro (line worker)
• Hunter Reese, Acme (line worker)
• Matthew Shirey, Penn (line worker)
• David Sisler, Brownsville (substation electrician)
• Gavin Solley, Dayton (substation electrician)
• Zachary Zameroski, Ridgway (line worker)

PSI students split time between classes at the colleges and company training facilities in Erie, Jeannette, Johnstown and Reading. 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's inception, FirstEnergy has hired more than 2,800 line and substation personnel who completed PSI programs in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, 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 Wyman.

Met-Ed serves approximately 570,000 customers within 3,300 square miles of eastern and southeastern Pennsylvania. Follow Met-Ed on Twitter @Met Ed and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MetEdElectric.

Penelec serves approximately 585,000 customers within 17,600 square miles of northern and central Pennsylvania. Follow Penelec on Twitter @Penelec and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PenelecElectric.

Penn Power serves more than 160,000 customers in all or parts of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Crawford, Lawrence and Mercer counties in western Pennsylvania. Follow Penn Power on Twitter @Penn_Power, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PennPower, and online at www.pennpower.com.

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.

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.