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Ask Chris: What is the best path for high voltage electrical employment as a relay technician?

Here is a question submitted to the Ask Chris section of the RelayTraining.com website about the best path for electrical employment.

I have just recently completed an IBEW apprenticeship and tested out as a Journeyman Lineman. I am currently working in construction. I have a question regarding a career goal. 

To secure a Journeyman Meter/Relay Technician position would you recommend credentialing oneself with:

  1. Associates in Electrical Technology (or another degree),
  2. NETA ETT,
  3. Substation Technician apprenticeship,
  4. Equipment manufacturer certifications (SEL, GE, S&C…),
  5. Testing equipment manufacturer certifications (Doble, Vanguard, Omicron, Megger…),
  6. Conferences/classes (AVO, Valence, RTC, or WSU’s Hands-On Relay School),
  7. traditionally – On The Job, or
  8. something else?

I understand the ideal response would be – “all of the above” or “do whatever makes you marketable to a particular employer’s equipment needs”. However, as a NECA/IBEW lineman opportunities for education reimbursement, paid leave, or employer sponsored classes in this part of the craft do not exist. Where do you think the best minimal investment would be to get your foot in the door?

The electrical industry is desperate for protection and control personnel and there are typically three types of electrical employment careers as a protective relay technician:

  1. Independent contractors and consultants that work for various clients and various locations
  2. Utility or plant workers that work inside one system
  3. Manufacturer representatives, field service technicians, and technical support

People with independent contractor experience tend to be the group that can jump back and forth between career paths because they see a wide variety of equipment, standards, and techniques because they work for multiple customers in different industries, which translates to valuable experience for employers. This experience comes with a high cost because variety usually means travel for weeks or months at a time, and lots of it.

Utility and plant workers see the same kind of equipment and standards inside their organizations, which can lead to more specialized knowledge about systems, equipment, and techniques. Travel is usually limited to a small region, so they also get to have a life and spend more time at home.

Manufacturer representatives can be outside sales personnel, field service, or technical support, or all of the above.  The sales people obviously travel more, but they usually leave on a Monday and are back home on Friday which makes for easier travelling than an independent contractor.  Field service personnel become experts on their equipment and do travel, but not as much as a contractor because their scope of work is usually more limited. Technical support personnel typically work from home or an office.

The direction you take depends on your end-goal:

  1. Associates in Electrical Technology degrees are valuable to all of the career paths and would be an asset for any path you want to take. Relay test technicians working for independent contractors usually start with some sort of electrical degree or military experience.
  2. The ANSI/NETA ETT standard would be used by a school to create an electrical technician program. There really isn’t any path for ETT certification if you already don’t work for a NETA accredited company. NICET certification used to be an alternative to NETA certification, but it looked like they had abandoned their program when I researched it 10-15 years ago. I see that they still offer Electrical Power Testing certification on their website, and the logos on the bottom of the page list some pretty important players in the industry.
  3. Substation Technician apprenticeship is the normal path for utility or plant workers and an excellent low-cost solution to get experience in the industry.
  4. Equipment manufacturer certifications probably won’t help much to get you in the door, but can be useful if you are already working for a company.
  5. Testing equipment manufacturer certifications probably won’t help much to get you in the door, but can be useful if you are already working for a company.
  6. Conferences/classes are probably won’t help much to get you in the door, but can be useful if you are already working for a company.
  7. Traditionally – On The Job – This is obviously the best training and only possible once you are in the door.

The associates degree will open more doors, but an apprenticeship is a good path if you want the stability of utility or plant work.

Thanks for submitting the question and I hope I was able to help.

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About the Author

Chris is an Electrical Engineering Technologist, a Journeyman Power System Electrician, and a Professional Engineer. He is also the Author of The Relay Testing Handbook series and founder of Valence Electrical Training Services. You can find out more about Chris here.

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  1. Bismarck state college helped me get into my current new job as a relay technician. The down fall of it is that it’s expensive if you decide to do the AAS but they also offer a certificate or you just can take the substation specialization courses that have relay principles courses.

    1. I looked at Bismarck State. It looks a little pricey, but maybe the only route to go. I looked at the Northwest Lineman school as well, but you can only go thru the Substation pipeline as a “sponsored” utility emplyee.

  2. For anyone interested in working for ‘High Voltage Electrical Employment’, I highly recommend for finding a college that is in close relationship with power / utility companies. I would encourage everyone looking for this type of work to contact any college of their interest to see if the EE degree is aligned with any power company recruitment pool in their state. I do work for one of the largest transmission companies in the US, and the college I have earned my AAS EE/ AAS ET/ AAS I & A ( Instrumentation & Automation)from, was focused on industrial motors, industrial maintenance to supply the local manufacturing industries. This degree did get me through the door to my current company, but in a different capacity. I waited two years to transition from office to field as a Transmission PnC field technician. Every fellow PnC field tech I talk to recommends Valence online videos or online training concurrent to college courses. While the company I work for is extremely supportive of anyone to grow and advance within the company, that might not be case with all companies. Be on the lookout/ wording when reading the requirements in a job post. I would even encourage calling the company advertising an open position and confirming the requirements.
    I do agree with Chris’s reply on getting certifications to get through the door if college is too pricey at the moment. ( Although, there are many option for free education,unfortunately, no one is volunteering that information. ) I went to college with many younger men, who were learning better by hands-on approach. They did leave the EE program I was attending and joined the Electrical Worker’s Union – if it’s allowed in state- and they have earned their journeyman license that way. The office of the Electrical Workers Union I have contacted, only had a satellite office close to my house, but they did inform me that the training is four days work and one day in-class training. To the best of my knowledge, most Unions will either provide or assist with employment.
    Also, like Chris suggested, seek out internships with different companies. I would highly suggest – if time allows- to try Transmission companies, Generation Power Plants and Distribution companies, as well as the Renewable sector of Energy. There’s a need for technicians everywhere!
    I hope I did not confuse any one, and hope this helped.

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