Walters State Community College, area power companies and the Tennessee Valley Public Power Association (TVPPA) have coordinated efforts to offer utilities training for area power company employees.

With little funding available to pay travel costs to training sites, area power companies can now take TVPPA training courses locally at the Greeneville-Greene County Center for Technology and other Walters State sites.

Employees from the Greeneville Light & Power System are taking an advanced lineworker class at the technology center.

Lineworker training will also be provided by TVPPA at Walters State's Morristown and Sevierville campuses.

"Walters State is cooperating with TVPPA to offer lineman's training in the upper East Tennessee region," said Bill Carroll, general manager of GL&PS.

"This gives our employees access to TVPPA's high-quality training with less cost for travel and less time away from work, which is a win-win for all parties involved," he said.

Anita Ricker, assistant dean of community education at Walters State, said, "We look forward to continuing to help meet the training needs of area power company employees."

TVPPA members include municipal and electric cooperatives that serve more than 8.5 million customers in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky, North Carolina and Virginia.