Blue Collar and Proud of It: The All-In-One Resource for Finding Freedom, Financial Success, and Security Outside the Cubicle (22 page)
Authors: Joe Lamacchia,Bridget Samburg
Tags: #Business
Rail workers start out in a variety of positions to gain experience needed formore demanding assignments. They generally begin training to become a conductor and could continue to advance to the position of engineer. Much of the training occurs through a rail company’s internal program and tends to require that applicants have at least a high school diploma orGED. Most rail transportationworkers complete formal classroom and hands-on training before beginning work.
Most subway and streetcar operators actually start out as bus drivers andwork theirway up through the system.Newoperatorsmust complete training programs and demonstrate an ability to troubleshoot problems andmalfunctions as well as take charge during an emergency situation.
Train engineersmust be federally licensed to operate freight and passenger trains. Some ongoing training is necessary to maintain these licenses.
The Numbers
Employment in most railroad transportation occupations is not expected to change much through 2016, but that said, opportunities should be good for qualified applicants. Most of these openings are expected because of retiring workers. Also, demand for railroad freight service will grow as the need to transport goods increases. Railroads will also benefit fromcongested highways as commuters shift their habits and rely more on public transportation.
As of May 2006, median hourly earnings in this industry included $27.88 for rail engineers, $26.70 for conductors, and $23.55 for subway operators.
WASTE
AND
WATER TREATMENT PLANT OPERATOR
We all knowcleanwater is essential for everyday life, butwe don’t usually think about how it gets that way before reaching our homes, schools, and offices. Water is pumped fromwells, rivers, streams, and reservoirs to treatment plants, where it is treated and distributed to customers. Plant operators control equipment and processes that remove or destroy harm-fulmaterials, chemicals, andmicroorganisms fromthe water.Operators also control pumps, valves, and other equipment thatmove the water or wastewater through the various treatment processes. Most water treatment operators work in government or private water and sewage plants. Because of a large number of upcoming retirements and the difficulty of filling these positions, job opportunities should be quite good in the coming years.
The Work
Water treatment plant and system operators treat water so that it is safe to drink. Wastewater treatment plant and system operators remove harmful pollutants from domestic and industrial liquid waste so that it is safe to return to the environment.
In this vein, plant operators needmechanical aptitude and the ability to solve problems intuitively. Theymust have the ability to apply data to formulas that determine treatment requirements, flow levels, and concentration levels. Some basic familiarity with computers is also necessary, as operators typically use themto record data. Some plants also use computer-controlled equipment and instruments.
Operators read, interpret, and adjust meters and gauges to make sure that plant equipment and processes are working properly. Occasionally, operators must work during emergencies and under intense pressure. A heavy rainstorm, for example, may cause large amounts of wastewater to flow into sewers, exceeding a plant’s treatment capacity.
Depending on the size of the plant, an operatormay be responsible for all equipment, as often is the case with a smaller plant. In larger operations, he or she would likely oversee just one area.
Water quality standards are largely set by the SafeDrinkingWaterAct, which specifies standards for drinking water, and the Clean Water Act, which regulates pollutants that are discharged. Plant operators must be familiar with these guidelines as well as any local ones that exist.
Work Setting
Plant and system operators work both inside and out and may be exposed to noise from machinery and to unpleasant odors. Working as an operator can be physically demanding and is sometimes done in unclean locations. In this industry, youmust pay close attention to safety procedures because of the presence of hazardous or unsanitary conditions.
Training and Certification
Employers usually hire high school graduates who are trained on the job and later become licensed.The completion of an associate’s degree or a one-year certificate programin water quality and wastewater treatment technology is beneficial, especially since technology is increasing the complexity of the plants’ operation and the equipment used. Most of these programs are offered by trade associations.
Many water control agencies offer courses to improve operator skills and knowledge.Operatorsmust pass an examination certifying that they are capable of overseeing water treatment operations. Mandatory certification is implemented at the state level, and the licensing requirements vary widely among the states.
Plant superintendents typically need postsecondary training in water and wastewater treatment and significant experience as a plant operator. Education requirements are increasing asmore complex treatment plants are built to meet drinking water and pollution standards. Superintendents of large plants often need at least a bachelor’s degree in engineering or science.
The Numbers
Water treatment plant and systemoperators held about 111, 000 jobs in 2006, with almost 80 percent of them in local governments. Employment in this industry is expected to grow by 14 percent (or more than 15, 000 jobs) between 2006 and 2016. Job opportunities should be excellent because of a large number of retirements. Job opportunities tend to be better in urban areas.
The median annual salary for the industry was $36, 070 as of May 2006, and the highest 10 percent were earning more than $55, 120.
WELDING
There has never been a better time to go into welding. At least that’s what the folks at the AmericanWelding Society (AWS) say. AWS expects half of the nation’s welders to retire in the next several years, andmany of thewelding unions around the country are having trouble recruiting. Some are finding it so difficult that they’ve resorted to importing welders from other states while even offering signing bonuses as incentives.
Opportunities inwelding are quite varied—fromunderwater welding to jobs on skyscrapers or inmanufacturing plants. Many welders will tell you that they are really artists at the core, passionate about sculpting and creating. All of them say you have to be comfortable or get comfortable with the extreme heat required to do this job.
Success in the Real World
Dwayne “Cactus” Jones, welder, Grand Saline, Texas
“I had teaching shoved down my throat.” For Dwayne “Cactus” Jones, awelder in easternTexas, school and educationwere everything. His mother, a high school teacher, and his father, a principal, expected that their son would go to college. It was just a given. So, when Jones told his parents that hewas planning to go to ironworking school, the news did not go overwell. “Imade tremendouswaves, ” says Jones.He says his parents didn’t talk to himfor a fewyears and that they still seempeeved by his decision, even though he’s almost fifty and incredibly successful. “I was the shame of the neighborhood.”
Jones says he definitely felt like an outsider when he was watching his friends go off to college.His parents told himtomove out, and his father predicted he’d fail at whatever he set out to do since he wouldn’t have college degree. While crushed, Jones also saw this as a challenge. “I have a terrible ego and a tremendous amount of pride.” Joneswas determined to prove his fatherwrong.In 1980, he joined the ironworkers union inHous-ton and has been building ever since. “I love doing it, ” he says, even after nearly thirty years.He still drives by buildings in Houston and points up to the top or along the sides and says, “Hey, I built that.”
Jones obviously has a knack forwelding.He has his own company and is now in the business of building oil rigs. When he talks about his financial success, Jones puts it succinctly when he says, “I can afford whatever I want.” That even includes aMercedes he bought for his wife as a birthday gift. But when it comes to describing the ideal welder, Jones says it’s tough. “You’ve either got it or you don’t.” He says that for those who have the talent and enjoywelding—which does require precision, patience, and a steady hand—unions are theway to go.Jones reminds anyonewho asks that you have towork “very hard” and you can’tmind being out in the cold or the heat. “If you’re willing to put the time in, the sky is the limit.”
The Work