A great job with a future becomes a dream fulfilled for MCTC grad in Texas
April 25, 2023
by Keith Kappes
(First of a new series of feature articles by Keith Kappes about MCTC Alumni Achievers.)
Austin Whitson of Lexington was hoping to prepare himself for a secure, well-paying
job when he discovered the 10-week lineworker program at the Licking Valley Campus
of Maysville Community and Technical College.
Today, at 23, he is earning a six-figure salary at a major industrial firm in Texas, all because the MCTC training in Cynthiana and financial aid through the Kentucky Career Center met his personal requirements of accessibility and affordability.
“I never dreamed I would find such a high-quality, respected program so close to home and that my college expenses of $5,000 would be paid by the state scholarship,” Whitson said during a break in his work schedule at Saber Power Services near Houston.
As he prepared to move into a new home in Texas, he continued to marvel at his good fortune since leaving MCTC in August and starting what he calls his “dream job” in September.
“My employer welcomed me with open arms and rewarded me because I not only was trained as a lineworker, but also had a Class A commercial driver’s license,” he recalls. “And then they were even more impressed to learn about my certificates in OSHA 10 workplace safety, first aid, CPR, and flagger/traffic control.”
Saber Power Services is an electrical engineering and construction services company that supports energy and other industries in the U. S. and in Central and South America, primarily performing testing and maintenance of electrical equipment.
A graduate of Lexington Lafayette High School, Whitson says he is proud of his learning experiences at MCTC and the lineworker program. His current work assignment is inspecting large-scale electrical transformers at industrial plants.
“I know I have a great future with this company because of the outstanding training I received,” he says. “I realize each day that I am using my world-class education at a world-class company.”
For more information about the lineworker program and other career options, go online to Maysville.kctcs.edu.
