Apprenticeship Day - Minnesota Rural Electric Association

Minnesota Rural Electrical Association (MREA) has partnered with the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry for several years, but restructured and registered their program in February 2025.

Under this new program structure, MREA works with its members — individual electric cooperatives throughout the state — to track their apprentice training. In only a few months, half of MREA’s members have signed on as employers for the new program where power line worker apprentices are trained locally at individual electrical cooperatives.

MREA’s role is to provide the cooperatives with the apprentice tracking, program development and support vital to a successful registered apprenticeship program.

Powerline workers perform a dangerous yet essential role in keeping the electricity on, making it critical that apprentices receive the best possible preparation for their time in the field.

MREA and its members are an example of how program sponsors and employers can work together to develop skilled and trained apprentices, ensuring worker safety and knowledge.

MREA looks forward to seeing this new program benefit its members and their apprentices.