Brady Taylor Joins Big Sandy RECC with BSCTC’s Lineman Program
Prestonsburg, Ky—Brady Taylor, one of BSCTC’s first lineman graduates, was recently hired by Big Sandy RECC as a lineman. Taylor is a testament to determination, hard work and eastern Kentucky.
Taylor was pursuing a nursing degree when he heard about the lineman program from his friends who were enrolled. The work was much more appealing to him because he loves being outdoors. As he was never afraid of hard work, the potential to climb great heights, being a part of a strong brotherhood of technicians and the courage to work with high voltages made him a perfect candidate for Big Sandy RECC.
With a wife and small child, Taylor wanted to support his family and live in his home in Johnson County. When Taylor graduated, the world had been devastated by the pandemic and there was not a job opening for a beginning journeyman. Taylor explained, “Bruce Aaron Davis is a good man, and even though he couldn’t hire me at the time, he connected me with a contractor who did.”
In just eight months, Taylor traveled the nation and worked seven different major storms. He explained that his two-year experience on the road afforded him the chance to see so many new places. He also worked with extremely high voltage and became a true believer in the phrase, “I am my brother’s keeper” due to the precision linemen must practice for their safety and the safety of their team.
Taylor’s heart was in eastern Kentucky with his young family, and Bruce Aaron Davis contacted him again. This time he offered Taylor a career with Big Sandy RECC.
In Taylor’s voice, there is a lot of gratitude to Davis for collaborating with BSCTC to create the lineman program, his first job opportunity, and now the career he wanted as an employee of Big Sandy RECC—in Johnson County.
In response, Davis shared his thoughts, “Our power is our people and that is the importance of community partners when it comes to developing training and building a pipeline of relevant workforce individuals. We value being able to work together with BSCTC and create opportunities for our area.”
Students in the BSCTC Lineman Program express great passion for helping the people of central Appalachia. The program encourages them to express their connection to place and people by drawing on strong cultural and familial ties to the region. "Students come into the lineman training knowing they have a connection to their community, but they are not completely sure why or how. When they graduate from the program, they are proud to say they are building a better Appalachia by securing electricity to its people," explained Workforce Director Rachelle Burchett.
BSCTC Workforce Solutions values the direction and expertise of its partners, Big Sandy RECC and AEP. The development and training of the program relied heavily on their guidance to enrich the experience and seamlessly align the education with the professional lineman career. For more information about the 12-week lineman program, contact Workforce Solutions at 606-788-2923.
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Big Sandy Community & Technical College (BSCTC) provides accessible quality educational opportunities for student success, promotes economic growth and enhances the quality of life of its constituents. As the region’s premier community and technical college, BSCTC is recognized as the first choice for higher education; academic achievement; cultural enrichment; student success; and community, workforce and economic development. With campuses in Prestonsburg, Paintsville, Hager Hill and Pikeville, BSCTC offers 30 programs and more than 200 credentials. Visit www.bigsandy.kctcs.edu to learn more.
