Join Our Tree Trim Academy and Launch a New Career
Welcome to our Tree Trim Academy! DTE and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers partnership established this Detroit-based program to provide training for those seeking a career in Line Clearance Tree Trimming. Our commitment is to grow and develop local and diverse talent to meet the needs of maintaining safe, reliable energy. We are currently recruiting and placing students into upcoming cohorts.
Meet Our Students
Join our first cohort of Tree Trim Academy students pursuing a new career in line clearance tree trimming.
Soaring to New Heights
Tree Trim Academy offers a 6-week Line Clearance Tree Trimming training program that equips graduates with the skills needed to move into IBEW Local 17’s apprenticeship program pipeline.
Collaboration Brings Ideas to Life
DTE and IBEW Local 17 collaborated with Mike Duggan, Mayor of Detroit, Focus: HOPE and Detroit at Work to inclusively recruit talent from Metro-Detroit’s diverse workforce to fill the area’s ever-growing demand for Line Clearance Tree Trimmers. Our goal is to train and hire workers who are passionate about working outdoors and eager to learn the craftsmanship of a skilled trade.
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Instructor Jeff Gunnells teaches nationally-recognized safety practices to our Tree Trim Academy students.
Tree Trim Academy students practice climbing on a massive onsite structure.
Tree Trim Academy students receive real-world knowledge from instructors who take the time to share union craftmanship honed over years of field experience.
Tree Trim Academy students are prepared to enter the line clearance tree trimming career pathway after completing the six-week curriculum.
DTE and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 17 partnered to open the Tree Trim Academy to train local workers for local work.
Small student cohorts and an immersive setting offer low instructor-to-student ratios for an ideal learning environment.
With an abundance of trees proximate to the Tree Trim Academy, students learn tree species identification as part of the urban arboriculture studies.
Building confidence with each incremental success, the Tree Trim Academy trains students with real-world safety and line clearance tree trimming skills to ensure energy reliability in their communities.
One of the first learning activities Tree Trim Academy students experience is being lifted 80 feet into the air and shoot basketballs into a net to simulate the experience of working at great heights.
Tree Trim Academy students experience two weeks of onsite, immersive learning in preparation for a line clearance tree trimming career.
Students practice knot tying skills daily and undergo weekly testing to advance through the program.
Terrell Lockhart, manager, DTE Tree Trimming brought the Academy into reality with project collaborators IBEW Local 17, the City of Detroit and Focus: HOPE.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is line clearance tree trimming needed for energy reliability?
Trees are responsible for nearly 70% of the time our customers spend without power. Areas where we’ve already trimmed have 2/3 fewer outages, so we know this works.
How does tree trimming impact the health of trees?
DTE is committed to maintaining healthy trees in the communities where we live and serve. Robust training provides line clearance tree trimmers the knowledge to accomplish both reliable energy service and tree health.
How can I find out more information?
We’re excited to partner with Focus: HOPE, who is currently placing students for our 2021 cohorts. Learn more about our process.