The American Line Builders Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (ALBAT) runs industry-leading concentrated three-week training programs. With a short time frame, limited access to equipment and training spaces, and many students to train, the organization wanted to upgrade its training program in a way that would give apprentices more seat time while improving safety and ensuring that each apprentice receives the same opportunities.
ALBAT added CM Labs’ simulation-based training solutions, including three mobile trailers, equipped with a full complement of lifting and earthmoving training packs, along with Intellia Instructor. ALBAT also took advantage of CM Labs’ SimGuide consulting service, which helped elevate its training programs and make the most of its simulators.
ALBAT selected CM Labs not just for its cutting-edge simulation technology but also because of how the CM Labs team functions as a training partner. CM Labs worked closely with the ALBAT training team, providing in-person expert guidance through SimGuide and ongoing custom curriculum development.
Simulation helped standardize training, reduce risk, and empower apprentices with skills that once required real-world trial and error—and time—to develop. The addition of structured tools like Intellia Instructor has transformed simulation into a targeted, trackable learning experience—enhancing outcomes, increasing training capacity, and extending training times without compromising safety or quality.
As a state-of-the-art training center complete with a 17-acre campus, 125 poles, and the latest technology, ALBAT is one of the largest training facilities in the outside electrical industry in the United States. This cooperative labor-management training is funded and administered by several key partners, including the American Line Builders Chapter, the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).
As a leader in the field, ALBAT wanted to upgrade its training even further and add simulation training to the heavy equipment components of its programs.
“We try to keep it thoughtful and impactful as we evolve for the newer generations—you know, the video game generations, so to speak,” said Daniel Cooper, the Curriculum Manager at ALBAT. “Integrating the CM Labs system just takes us to the next level and provides a highly immersive environment where ground personnel, operators, apprentices, and journey levels of all types can fail safely, get that muscle memory, and make better decisions in the field.”
“Integrating the CM Labs system just takes us to the next level and provides a highly immersive environment where ground personnel, operators, apprentices, and journey levels of all types can fail safely, get that muscle memory, and make better decisions in the field.”
At the core of ALBAT’s mission is equipping apprentices with the knowledge and hands-on skills to thrive in the electrical utility industry. But with only three weeks of initial in-person instruction, delivering safe, comprehensive equipment training has always been a race against the clock. “We are a boot camp so to speak,” said Cooper. The window is short, but the learning goals are ambitious.
Previously, the only way apprentices could get experience on certain machines was by catching downtime on a jobsite. Those who didn’t find these opportunities risked being reassigned—or worse, laid off—due to lack of qualifications.
In response, ALBAT implemented simulation-based training, adding structure and accessibility to the training experience. Trainees now rotate through multiple stations, including simulator zones, which supplement live equipment exposure. Even when the weather prevents outdoor work, training can continue uninterrupted.
The goal? “Fail safely,” said Cooper. Simulators offer immersive, low-risk environments where apprentices can gain essential skills. They can learn walkaround inspections, controls, and operations across equipment types—from mini excavators to digger derricks—before ever stepping into the field.
While early simulation use gave trainees freedom to explore different equipment types, those trainees needed careful supervision to keep them on track. Cooper recalled a few moments when students would get carried away and veer off task when left to their own devices. “When they had access to every single piece of equipment, that’s all they wanted to do was destroy and tear things up,” said Cooper.
With CM Labs’ Intellia Instructor, ALBAT doesn’t have to worry about that anymore. Now, instructors can assign specific learning paths that keep students focused on important learning objectives. “We can lock it down,” Cooper said, “and they can go step-by-step through the equipment we want them to.” Instructors can also use Intellia Instructor to monitor students, track progress, and even use simulation training as homework. Cooper notes that this opens up training opportunities that didn’t exist before: “Now with Intellia, we can set specific time blocks. We can tell students, ‘Hey, you’ve got an hour and you have to complete these specific tasks, which you’re going to be graded on.’ Before Intellia, we didn’t have that ability.”
“Now with Intellia, we can set specific time blocks. We can tell students, ‘Hey, you've got an hour and you have to complete these specific tasks, which you're going to be graded on.’ Before Intellia, we didn't have that ability.”
One key turning point in ALBAT’s journey came with CM Labs’ in-person SimGuide session, led by CM Labs’ construction subject matter expert. With more than two decades of field experience, James didn’t just demonstrate features—he opened up his entire training archive and walked the ALBAT team through practical teaching strategies.
“He showed us things we didn’t know the simulator could do,” Cooper recalled. “It was hundreds of hours of work that he just shared.” It helped ALBAT see what simulation training could be, as well as all that the team could achieve with it. Today, that session serves as both an instructional benchmark and an inspiration. “It keeps my mind fresh,” Cooper added. “He definitely opened our eyes.”
“He showed us things we didn’t know the simulator could do,” Cooper recalled. “It was hundreds of hours of work that he just shared.”
To meet regional demand, ALBAT now operates three mobile trailers equipped with simulators. These trailers travel to IBEW members and remote jobsites, bringing training to where it’s needed most
“It’s almost a daily operational piece for these smaller utilities contractors and co-ops,” said Cooper. “If it’s raining, they can say, ‘Come in here and let’s do some training while we wait for the weather to blow over.’ It means that operators don’t just leave and take away nothing for the day, which is a huge benefit.”
“It's almost a daily operational piece for these smaller utilities contractors and co-ops,” said Cooper. “If it’s raining, they can say, ‘Come in here and let's do some training while we wait for the weather to blow over.’ It means that operators don't just leave and take away nothing for the day, which is a huge benefit.”
From the beginning, ALBAT’s relationship with CM Labs went beyond that of a simple vendor of training tools. ALBAT’s connection with CM Labs is a collaborative development effort—one that includes feedback on future products and responsive support. “We saw what was available,” said Cooper, when recalling ALBAT’s decision to go with CM Labs, “it was something that we didn’t want to pass up. We work a lot with CM Labs’ engineering team, helping to develop further scenarios.”
Cooper said that ALBAT considers CM Labs to be a training partner. It’s a sentiment that is also echoed by Tim Scott, the Training Coordinator at ALBAT. Scott highlighted the unique level of involvement ALBAT receives from CM Labs: “All of that has just made us feel more comfortable with why we chose CM Labs.”
For ALBAT, the people behind the product—from the subject matter experts to the account managers, support team, and engineering team—have made the difference. “Tech support has been super friendly, super helpful every time,” said Cooper, “We’ve had an overwhelmingly positive experience with CM Labs.”
“Tech support has been super friendly, super helpful every time,” said Cooper, “We’ve had an overwhelmingly positive experience with CM Labs.”
As ALBAT continues to refine and expand its curriculum, simulation plays an ever-growing role. What started as a way to fill in the gaps has become an integral part of operator education. “It’s like a live-action PowerPoint,” said Cooper. “We can talk through mistakes and coach apprentices in the moment. You can’t get that kind of insight on a real machine—at least not without the band-aids.”
“We can’t say enough about the team,” Cooper emphasized. “They made all of this happen. It comes back to having good people working for you—and CM Labs definitely does.”
“We can’t say enough about the team,” Cooper emphasized. “They made all of this happen. It comes back to having good people working for you—and CM Labs definitely does.”
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