Malcolm and Alyssa Step Into New Careers with CFCC Electrical Lineworker Program
This month, CFCC will celebrate the graduation of its latest Electrical Lineworker cohort. Among the graduates are Malcolm Brown and Alyssa Lucarelli, who arrived with very different experiences but found a fresh start and a career they are excited to step into.
Malcolm Brown
Malcolm Brown enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2008 and served on active duty until 2012, including two deployments to Afghanistan. After leaving the military, he attended college in New Jersey and graduated in 2016. What followed was a mix of jobs, a short period in the Army, and steady work as a carpenter in Minnesota. Then the pandemic struck, and layoffs began.
“I bounced around for a while,” he said. “Then I got my CDL and was on the road trucking from November 2021 until this past August.”
He had always been interested in linework but never knew how to get started. That changed when his father told him about CFCC’s program.
“I found out Cape Fear had this program, and it cost next to nothing to go. And here I am.”
Malcolm says the training has opened his eyes to what the job really involves. “The work is dangerous, but if you work smart and you work safe, it’s worth it. I’ve learned a lot about what the job is and what’s possible.”
Malcolm plans to start working right away and eventually join the union once he gains experience. What’s certain is that North Carolina is home. “Our son was born here. We want to raise him down here. My whole family is here.”
Alyssa Lucarelli
For Alyssa Lucarelli, the move into linework stemmed from a desire for a completely fresh start.
“I always wanted to learn a trade,” she said. “Life was taking me in a direction that wasn’t working out. So I decided to start over and do something I’ve always wanted to do.”
She knew she wanted a job that was hands-on and active. “I don’t like sitting at a desk, and I don’t like dressing nicely for work. This trade lets me work outside. It has some danger, which also attracts me. I like the manual labor.”
Alyssa moved to North Carolina from Connecticut a few years ago. A friend in the industry encouraged her to look into linework, and the more she learned, the more it felt right.
“I love coming to school. If work is anything like this, I think it’s going to be exciting.”
Walking into the program as a woman, Alyssa wasn’t sure what the environment would be like. That concern faded quickly.
“I didn’t know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. Everyone is very accepting, and I don’t feel different than anyone else.”
Before enrolling at CFCC, Alyssa had already applied to the SELCAT apprenticeship. Learning that CFCC had a partnership with the program made the transition even smoother. “It looks like the ball is rolling in that direction,” she said.
CFCC’s next Electrical Lineworker class begins in January, and seats are still open. Learn more at cfcc.edu/lineworker.
