Vegetation Management Intern

Supports the cooperative's right-of-way maintenance program by helping clear brush, trees, vines, and other vegetation from around electric lines and facilities.

This is an outdoor, physically active position and is a good fit for someone who enjoys working outside, using tools and equipment, and seeing the results of their work. The intern will work as part of a crew and gain practical experience with vegetation management, right-of-way maintenance, electric utility operations, and safe work practices.

The work is performed outdoors in varying terrain and weather conditions.

What You'll Do

Responsibilities may include:

• Clear brush, trees, vines, and other vegetation from electric utility rights-of-way.
• Assist with maintaining access to poles, lines, equipment, and other electric facilities.
• Assist with dragging, piling, chipping, or otherwise handling brush and woody debris.
• Use hand tools and powered equipment such as chainsaws. May be trained to use brush grinders, tractors, trimmers, and other vegetation management tools as assigned.
• Work safely around electric facilities while following established safety procedures and crew instructions.
• Inspect tools and equipment before use and help keep equipment clean and properly maintained.
• Assist with loading, unloading, and transporting tools, equipment, and materials.
• Identify hazards such as uneven terrain, traffic, overhead lines, insects, animals, and changing weather conditions.
• Follow instructions from crew leaders and communicate hazards, equipment problems, or other concerns.
• Help maintain clean and orderly work areas.
• Work cooperatively with other employees and crews to complete assigned right-of-way work.
• May occasionally work as a helper/learner with line technicians.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

What We're Looking For

Candidates should:

• Be currently enrolled in, or recently graduated from, high school, college, technical school, or another educational program.
• Be dependable, willing to learn, and able to follow instructions.
• Enjoy working outdoors and performing physical work.
• Be comfortable working in hot, cold, wet, dusty, or otherwise changing outdoor conditions.
• Be able to walk and work on uneven or rough terrain.
• Be able to safely lift, carry, push, pull, and handle tools, brush, and other materials associated with the work.
• Have a strong commitment to safety and working as part of a crew.
• Be comfortable using tools, working at height, and learning to safely operate powered equipment.
• Have good communication skills and awareness of surroundings.
• Be able to report to work consistently and on time.

Previous experience with landscaping, farming, forestry, tree work, construction, outdoor labor, chainsaws, or similar equipment is helpful but not required.

Internship Experience

This internship provides hands-on experience with the vegetation management work required to safely and reliably operate an electric distribution system. The intern will learn how right-of-way maintenance helps keep electric lines accessible, reduces vegetation-related outages, and supports safe working conditions for utility crews.

Schedule: Normal working hours start as early as 6:00 am and end at as late as 4:30pm, Monday-Friday.

Internship Dates/Hours: Interns are limited to 1,000 total work hours, unless otherwise approved by the cooperative.

Carroll Electric is an Equal Opportunity Employer.