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22 THE DAVEY BULLETIN | September/October 2019 EXPERTISE DAVEY OFFERS CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR MARINES Kenny Rowe, senior regional safety specialist, Southern region, Brian Parris, regional safety specialist, and Katie Harper, recruiting specialist, strategic partnerships, presented for a week on vegetation management to a combination of Marines from Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, veterans and civilians enrolled in a utility lineman program at Coastal Carolina Community College. This was the first step in a new relationship with the college and the Department of Defense through their SkillBridge Program. The program is composed of courses approved by the Marine Corps for Marines to attend and receive training so they're employable when they separate from the corps. "It sets them up to be able to separate and start civilian life successfully," Harper said. While talking with Coastal Carolina Community College about the utility lineman course, the need for qualified workers in Davey's utility operations was discussed. The college decided to work with Davey to create a utility arborist course and include it as a SkillBridge course option, Harper said. The utility arborist course is an eight-week, hands-on course that includes receiving their commercial driver's license (CDL), flagger training, climbing experience, tree identification instruction, chainsaw safety and more. Katie Harper was on base at Camp Lejeune for the Transition Readiness Seminar (TRS), which is a weeklong course that teaches Marines how to find a job, how to write a resume and interview skills. Harper has been talking with the Marines about employment with Davey. "For Davey to be invited to Camp Lejeune and for the Department of Defense to give us permission to recruit on base, it's a big deal," Harper said. LEARNING FROM THE BEST In Hawaii and Hong Kong, hurricanes and typhoons can wreak havoc on vegetation around power lines. When services are disrupted, clients of Davey Tree's Hawaii Electric account and Hong Kong's China Light & Power (CLP) look for the same immediate, exemplary results. Seeking advice on tightening up management of their field teams, and best practices for developing systems to measure performance and progress, CLP sent vegetation management program managers Ryan Kwong and Desmond Tang to visit Davey general foreman Andrew Hardman and his crews in Hawaii. "It's all about understanding your environment and your crews' capabilities so that you can meet the client's expectations and be safe," said Hardman. "Our advice to them was what works for Davey is that we emphasize how crews are not only working for the utility as a client but also for the community." Ryan Kwong and Desmond Tang of China Light & Power visit with Davey utility crews on the Hawaii Electric account. "Davey's also sponsoring the Marines," Harper said. "We are paying for them to attend this course, identifying where they are going and ironing the hiring details out before they start the course. They know throughout the whole program that they are going to come work for Davey."

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