Southwest Tennessee Community College has two main campuses, the Macon Cove Campus and the Union Avenue Campus, and five college centers and teaching sites scattered throughout Memphis. Admission to the college is open to anyone, and as of February 2011, the college has just over 10,000 students enrolled. The ratio of students to instructors is roughly 12-to-1, so class sizes are small. As of 2011, the average cost of tuition for in-state students is $2,649, while out-of-state students face an average tuition of $9,725.
The college's Electric Utility Construction certificate and training program was designed to cover subjects such as electrical utility construction safety procedures, electrical component and systems operations and power equipment operations. The program can be completed with as few as 19 credits, and combines hands-on electric utility construction work in class to produce knowledgeable, safe and efficient electrical linemen. All technology-based courses, including the required courses that make up the Electric Utility Construction certificate program, are held at the Macon Cove Campus.
The courses required for completion of the program are designed to aid the student in the real world of electric utility construction. "Problem Solving for Linemen" is a course on the math concepts related to electrical distribution. "Electric Circuits for Line Personnel" introduces students to fundamental nature of and ideas associated with AC and DC currents. This course also has a lab portion that has students measuring currents and making calculations based on these measurements. "Applied Fundamentals of Electrical Distribution I" and "Applied Fundamentals of Electrical Distribution II" introduce the students to the fundamentals of electrical distribution and provide them with the skills needed to be a electric utility worker. These courses also have a hands-on lab portion that allows students to practice proper pole climbing techniques, pole climbing safety and tool usage. "Theory of Electrical Distribution" rounds out the required courses by building on the students' knowledge of electrical distribution and electrical transmission through a theoretical, rather than a hands-on, approach.
Students of the program are usually either current employees of MLG&W or individuals seeking employment with the utility company. Students who complete the program are not guaranteed employment, but graduates of the program have a better chance at employment than non-certified individuals since Memphis Light, Gas and Water recruits the majority of its employees through the program.