Seattle Electric Utility to Construct $12M Training Facility

Seattle City Light plans to build a new training facility to help expand its workforce. 

The public utility currently conducts training at various sites, but plans to consolidate all training into a 13,000-sq. ft. facility that is expected to cost $12 million, the Daily Journal of Commerce reports. Bernie O'Donnell, director of utility support services, told the journal over half of the electric utility's workforce will be eligible for retirement in the next five years and 

The center will feature two large classrooms, a computer lab, and a lab where employees can practice hooking up electrical meters. Outside of the facility, workers have space to practice climbing power poles and train on City Light's fleet, including line trucks, cranes, backhoes, and dump trucks.