PARIS — Oxford Hills Technical School has been awarded a $2.1 million federal grant to establish an on-site electrical education course for students seeking to become master electricians.
The vocational center, which is attached to Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School, is one of four to receive money from the Maine Department of Education’s fiscal recovery fund. It has received preapproval from the state; final approval is pending.
The money will be used to build a stand-alone working classroom on school grounds to house the electrical program and extra space for the plumbing technology program, which is in the technical school. School Director Randy Crockett said there will also be room for the building construction program.
The technical school provides an electrical course in partnership with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Lewiston. Students travel to Lewiston twice a week and IBEW training coordinator Justin Walsh comes to Oxford Hills once a week.
Crockett said the travel time is a challenge for students to juggle with other school commitments and establishing an on-site facility will eliminate that.
“This is a two-year program,” Crockett said. “When students graduate they will be qualified to be hired as assistants to master electricians. They will also be prepared to continue with secondary education to become master electricians, having completed required coursework and accumulating work hours towards certification.”
The new building is expected to be steel and cover 3,600 square feet. The grant requires the project be completed by the end of 2024. Requests for proposals from contractors will be issued in March.
No taxpayer money will be necessary, but Oxford Hills School District voters will be asked to vote on accepting the grant next June. The Maine School Administrative District 17 board of directors will also need to approve the project because it’s on district property.
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