18 years old, thinking of moving to WY

[jdavid93225]

All the responses I've read are great. I would second what StealthRabbit said about utility work. Even when most other sectors are losing jobs, utilities are having a hard time finding enough qualified workers to fill the jobs they currently have.

I work for the largest municipal utility in the country, and in my field (substation maintenance), we can't find enough qualified workers to fill the vacancies created through attrition. Add to that the additional personnel required for new "green power" projects such as wind and solar, and we are facing a loss of personnel. Finally, we have an aging workforce, with a large portion of that being within 5 to 10 years of retirement eligibility. I am currently one of the "younger" employees, as there aren't many younger than me where I work, but I was also one of the younger employees 22 years ago when I started in the trade. Of the people I work with, I only expect about 25 to 30 percent of them (at the most) to still be working when I'm ready to retire, and that's only 13 years away.

The biggest obstacle to getting a job working for a utility is getting the required training to make you eligible for those positions. Most of the training in the field comes from on-the-job training, so you usually have to start out in an entry-level position. In a large municipal utility, such as the one I work for, this is difficult, because there are a very limited number of entry-level openings, and the competition is fierce. Unfortunately, there aren't enough of these positions available to bring people in to train them in the field so we can fill our journey-level vacancies, so we find it difficult to get good, qualified people for this work.

From what I understand, there is a similar situation in many other parts of the nation. If you think this line of work might interest you, check with some utilities in areas you would be interested in working, to see if they have any sort of on-the-job training program, and find out what is required to apply. If they recommend schooling, ask what you should take. At the very least, I would suggest taking math classes up to the Calculus level, and at least Physics, if you're able to. Many schools also offer some sort of basic electricity or electronics course that would help. In addition to those courses, some sort of basic mechanical course, and a welding course could be useful, too. These skills would help you prepare for the various challenges that face many utility workers these days.

Some positions you may want to consider looking into (for the electrical trade) would be things like Electrician, Electrical Mechanic, Electrical Technician, Substation Electrician, and so on. These are various titles for essentially the same job at different utilities. There are probably other titles used for this type of job, as well.

There are also some emerging fields tied to "green power" programs that are currently in development in many areas. Things to look for are wind turbine, geothermal, and solar power projects, and the new positions that will be created in these areas.

If you would rather climb poles, or do that type of work, check out Lineman, Power Line Mechanic, Electric Distribution Mechanic, or other similar titles. For underground work, check out the Cable Splicer, Power Cable Technician, or something similar.

Finally, another area where there is a shortage of qualified worker is the position of Electric Station Operator. There are a number of other titles (such as Power Plant Operator or Substation Operator) for this same basic position in other utilities, so check out what ever information you can get your hands on.

Other non-electrical utility trades include Water Treatment Operator, Water Treatment Technician, Wastewater Treatment Technician, Water Utility Worker, Sewer Treatment Operator, and so on. These trades focus on water supply, treatment, and wastewater, but there are other fields, as well. Most utilities have their own equipment operators, for things like cranes, backhoes, loaders, trucks, and so on.

[lj1983]

I can't help much, other than to reinforce the fact that you need a job lined up first....but they are there to be had.

but I just wanted to say hi to a fellow NOVAer. I graduated from Lake Braddock High School.

[stormchaser9878]

You'd be surprised what you can accomplish by growing a garden. Learning to make clothes. A person could do many things in a rural area. If you learn to live frugal you can live happy.

[Twotoned]

Originally Posted by lj1983

I can't help much, other than to reinforce the fact that you need a job lined up first....but they are there to be had.

but I just wanted to say hi to a fellow NOVAer. I graduated from Lake Braddock High School.

Ah, cool! I'm at Robinson, but believe me I don't have the whole rivalry thing going on.

Again, thanks to everyone for the advice

edit:
by the way, to all the comments on frugality and giving up the bustle of the east,
believe me nothing would make me happier than to give up malls and useless things
The idea of living in a place I can breathe is one of the things that draws me to the prospect of moving to Wyoming.

[lilnickles85]

Here is a suggestion for you. If you are interested in cars or trucks, you may want to look at WyoTech, as mentioned above. It is a technical school with a lot of great benefits. My boyfriend spoke with a school rep last week about going there, and the program really sounds great for someone looking to relocate (as we are- the boyfriend signed up to start classes in Sept 2010). WyoTech helps you figure out your budget (which will largely be through loans, but there is no escaping that monster if you want to go to school) and housing out there. It is located in Laramie, which is a college town and may have more rentals than usual. However, I am from upstate NY and have not been to Laramie, so don't quote me- I am largely going off of what the rep has told us and what I can find on craigslist. Also, they help you find a job for after school and a part time job while you are in school- sounds like a very helpful school for someone striking out on their own. So there is a little more info for you. WyoTech Laramie - What You Should Know

Good luck with finishing school and finding what you want!

[Claim Jumper]

I did a job a few years back and the guy was A high up employee for Nissan. He also tried to recruit the high school grads to work in the auto tech industry. He claimed they are just not getting enough technician mechanics.
The jobs were hands on training plus pay--but I think it was 4 years of it! Trained and paid, YOU can't beat it IMO.
After 4 years-your game to whoever can pay you the most $$ or where you want to go--oh, and he said expect 6 figures for salary.

[sunsprit]

Originally Posted by Claim Jumper

I did a job a few years back and the guy was A high up employee for Nissan. He also tried to recruit the high school grads to work in the auto tech industry. He claimed they are just not getting enough technician mechanics.
The jobs were hands on training plus pay--but I think it was 4 years of it! Trained and paid, YOU can't beat it IMO.
After 4 years-your game to whoever can pay you the most $$ or where you want to go--oh, and he said expect 6 figures for salary.

While it's very possible in some areas of the USA to capture a 6-figure income as a tech, be aware that it's only the top producing techs in FLAT RATE shops that see this type of income.

There's a big difference between a salaried job and a flat rate job, and big differences in the working conditions and job assignments in flat rate shops. Some are very well run with a minimum of shop politics, some are clearly very political and it's the "fair haired boy" of the shop who gets all the gravy shop tickets with the easy to beat flat-rate time tickets while others get the jobs that have very tough flat rate times. The manufacturers are really cracking down on excessive flat-rate time for warranty work, which used to be a big source of income for dealer techs.

Here in Wyoming, there's still a lot of very competent techs working hourly wages for a lot less than $20/hour (municipal fleet garages, school bus garages, many independent shops), and only mid-$20's at hourly jobs in mining, truck fleets, and other shops. That's a far cry from a 6-figure income .... but a lot more secure paycheck than the week to week uncertainty of a flat-rate shop. Some folks are not cut out to work flat-rate, or are unable to handle the income variations. You'll find the higher paying opportunities for flat-rate shops will be in the large dealerships, which tend to be in the larger towns of Wyoming. You would be well adivsed to not conflate the high paying flat rate opportunities that exist in a limited segment of the tech biz with the hourly wage paying jobs more commonly found for jobs in the area. Realize, too, that to "make" $100,000 per year as a tech means an earned wage in the over $50/hour range. That's not a figure you'll see in any hourly wage job posting ....

In Cheyenne, for example, I know of only one tech at a major line dealership who was earning over $100,000 flat-rate steadily for the last few years. He got so disgusted with the politics there that he quit to open his own shop. While he has a good local following, he's not making anywhere near what he used to. There were a few top techs at Dinneen who earned 6 figures, but every one of them I talked to was not happy with the politics, and then Dinneen closed down and very few of those techs stayed with the new owners of the franchises ... who were a known quantity for not being a nice place to work. I'd bet that there's not a dozen techs between all the automotive dealerships in town making 6 figures, and we've got a lot more dealerships in Cheyenne than many other places around the state.

[Claim Jumper]

sunsprit Sounds like you know alot of info on the tech pay. The figures i got that were given to me around 2005 and were here in California. Cars are everwhere if you know what i mean-this quote was working for big dealerships-not independents.

I had no idea they pay techs a flat rate--per job. I know sometimes it can work against them if the job does not go smoothly.

My plug was mainly about getting trained and paid at the same time versus going to Wyo Tech--nothing against them or going that route for that matter -- just another way of getting where the OP intends to go.

you have a good post on this sunspirit--about pay scale and being content--if your not happy at what you are doing it does not really matter what you earn imo