Daily temperature swings no longer matter much to Jacob Adams.

Months ago, the heater and air conditioner stopped working in the 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis he drove to and from school. Today, car troubles are in the rearview from the driver’s seat of his brand-new Chevrolet Trax.

The SUV is more than transportation. It’s a tangible benefit for Adams and 15 classmates enrolled in a distinctive workforce training partnership at Canadian Valley Technology Center. The school collaborates with USIC (United States Infrastructure Company), the nation’s largest provider of underground utility locating and damage prevention services.

The partnership reflects a growing emphasis on career pathways that connect high school students directly to industry.

A work agreement signed by the students enrolled in the Underground Utility Locating Technician program places them on USIC’s payroll and inside new work vehicles. Each student works three hours per school day as a part-time USIC employee, earning $20 per hour while still in school. When training concludes this summer, they will transition directly into full-time roles. Their new rides stay with them. Gasoline and vehicle maintenance are covered by their employer.

Quincy Jones, 19, and an El Reno High School senior, said he is equally excited about the career opportunity, which was suggested to him through a friend at school. He will soon join a national workforce of 10,000 USIC technicians across 48 states. Together, they complete more than 84 million line locates annually for over 1,400 utilities and municipalities, helping protect critical infrastructure, such as buried natural gas, electric, telecom and water lines.

“I’ve learned a lot through this training program,” Jones said. “It’s really all about safety. You learn how to get safely to and from each call and how to remain safe while you are doing the work. It’s good peace of mind.”

That emphasis resonates with Adams as well.

“Safety is strictly enforced,” he said. “The company doesn’t want anyone getting hurt, especially when we go into people’s backyards to mark lines.”

Both young men are pressing pause on college plans in favor of immediate employment and income, though both recently earned National Technical Honor Society recognition.

“College was an option, but not so much right now,” Jones said. “I have opportunities to play college football, but that won’t pay me $20 an hour.”

Adams said his parents fully support his decision to enter the workforce sooner rather than later.

“I didn’t get accepted into the two other programs I really wanted to enroll in at Canadian Valley,” he said. “Once I heard about this being outdoors and hands-on, I was hooked. When I got my CV Tech acceptance letter in the mail, my family was excited for me. I haven’t cried for years, but I actually cried.”

Enrollment is underway for next fall’s Underground Utility Locating Technician class. Space is limited in both morning and afternoon sessions, which are open exclusively to high school seniors. Classes run mid-August through July at CV Tech’s El Reno Campus. For more information, visit www.cvtech.edu or call (405) 262-2629.