Nov 25
Ohio Student Advancing His Training in the Substation Program
Nov. 25, 2025 - Nathan Fiant was working as a substation technician for Pike Electric in Ohio when he learned that he could really advance his career by earning an associate degree from a school called Richmond Community College in Hamlet, N.C. That was when he first heard about the Electric Utility Substation & Relay Technology program and how it was propelling highly trained relay technicians straight into the utility industry after two years.
Fiant traveled to North Carolina for a tour of the EURST program. He liked the hands-on training that the students were receiving, using top-of-the-line equipment that is the gold standard in the utility industry. He signed up and moved to Hamlet one week before classes started in August.
“It has been really interesting so far,” Fiant said. “My favorite part of the program are the instructors. They are all super knowledgeable in this field, so it makes learning these skills easier.”
Some of the material is familiar to Fiant from his time working for Pike, traveling all over the Eastern Seaboard for various contract work. He also started his career in the utility industry as an electric lineman, and during his first week on the job, he was assigned to a substation crew.
The 22-year-old is looking forward to learning more about infrastructure and construction as he advances through the program. Fiant knows he made the right choice by coming all the way from Ohio to enroll in this unique program at RichmondCC.
About EUSRT
The Electric Utility Substation and Relay Technology (EUSRT) program provides students with the skills to maintain high voltage equipment and protective systems for the electric utility transmission system. Students also learn about operation and maintenance of critical infrastructure associated with the electric transmission grid.
Since its inception in 2011, the program has drawn students from outside of North Carolina, including Georgia, South Carolina, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin.
The program has also garnered international attention from industry leaders like Camlin Energy and Siemens Energy. The College hosts two career fairs in the spring and fall that draw over 20 companies onto campus looking to recruit students from the EUSRT program. Graduates of the program have taken jobs as far away as Hawaii and Alaska.
RichmondCC is now enrolling new students into the EUSRT program for the spring semester. Classes begin Jan. 9. Applications can be completed for free online. For more information or to schedule a tour, call (910) 410-1700.