South Central Power and connectSCP Donate Fiber-Optic Materials to Belmont Career Center
South Central Power Company and connectSCP donated fiber-optic materials and tools to Belmont Career Center on Wednesday afternoon to support students enrolled in its PC and Network Technology program.
“South Central Power and connectSCP are pleased to support the students of Belmont Career Center through this donation,” said Misty Tuttle, VP of Broadband at South Central Power as the items were presented to the school.
“As a local internet provider, we recognize that these students represent not only the future of our community, but also the future of our industry. This contribution also reflects our cooperative roots which values education and care for the communities we serve.”
The donation includes a variety of fiber-optic cables, splicing kits and specialized tools used in the field. Instructors at Belmont Career Center will be able to integrate these materials directly into coursework, allowing students to practice installation, splicing, testing and troubleshooting techniques.
Tuttle added the donated materials are similar to what people see on utility poles. She said students can take apart, clean and fuse back together the fiber cable. The school also received a terminal case used on utility poles. She noted that much of the equipment is expensive and difficult to obtain due to the nationwide boom in fiber network construction to homes.
Hunter Rauschenberg, lead fiber in-home technician in South Central Power’s Barnesville office, shows Belmont Career Center PC and Network Technology program students new donated equipment. [Photo Provided by Kelly Messerly, marketing specialist for connectSCP by South Central Power]
The contribution is designed to give students hands-on experience with the same equipment and materials used in today’s rapidly expanding fiber-optic industry, according to the company. By working directly with fiber cabling, connectors and installation tools, students will gain practical skills that better prepare them for careers in telecommunications and network infrastructure.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for our students,” said Brent Matis, PC and Network Technology instructor at Belmont Career Center. “Access to industry-grade materials enhances our curriculum and gives students confidence as they pursue additional education or enter the workforce.”
Tuttle noted that many students in the program are studying for Fiber Optic Association certification, a national credential for fiber workers in the U.S. Three students in the class have already passed.
“Before they graduate from high school, they are certified in working in the fiber field, which is a really great achievement,” she said.
Tuttle noted that there is a nationwide shortage of trained and certified technical staff to work on fiber networks.
“This is a great opportunity, not only for the industry, but also just for the community,” Tuttle said. “These kids are able to live where they grew up, and do really cool and important work.”
South Central Power currently employs a former Belmont Career Center student that Tuttle descirbed as a strong asset to the team. That grad is Garrett Mattis who works in the Barnesville and Belmont areas.
Tuttle said the company wanted to show its appreciation in hopes it will gain more employees like him.
“We’re just happy to give that so that they have that experience,” she said.
[Photo Provided by Kelly Messerly, marketing specialist for connectSCP by South Central Power]
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South Central Power Company is a member-owned electric cooperative serving more than 125,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers and maintaining more than 12,000 miles of energized power lines across 24 counties in Ohio. The cooperative, the largest in Ohio and founded in 1936, expanded into eastern Ohio in 1992 with the merger of Belmont Electric Co-op that served customers in Belmont, Monroe, Noble, Harrison, Jefferson and Carrroll counties.
ConnectSCP is a wholly owned subsidiary of South Central Power Company. It is working to deliver smarter, more reliable solutions that support both the energy and communication needs of its members and subscribers by expanding access to fast, dependable internet service.
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