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Level 4 apprentice power line technician.
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First in her family to work in the line trade. Her great grandfather was an electrician.
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Enjoys hunting, fishing, riding snowmobiles, dirt bikes and four-wheelers, kayaking and working on race cars.
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Serves on a committee for women in the trades and likes talking about her job.
Early Years
I went to St. Clair College for electrical and couldn’t get a job, so I then went into the power line program and loved it. I was the first woman to graduate from both programs. During school, I learned mainly about distribution and a little about transmission, but in my job now, I am on a transmission crew, so I’m learning a lot. I love my job and wouldn’t change it for the world.
Day in the Life
I am a Level 4 apprentice power line technician at Hydro One. I’m lucky that the crew I’m working on gets to do a lot of different things. In the past, I learned how to splice fiber, which was kind of cool. Usually, you get on a crew, and you get stuck with one job, like glass change, replacing steel or modifying a tower for years on end. We just did a 115 kV glass change and Z brackets, and then we are going to change out fiber. I might be going out on rotation as I don’t get to do distribution unless we get called out for a storm.
On the Job
I’m lucky to work on an awesome crew. They help you out, and if you are struggling, they give you tips. I’ve worked on crews where they didn’t want to help you because you’re a girl. There’s still the old mentality of the old-school workers, and they seem to be a bit hard on you if you’re an apprentice. If you don’t have a thick skin, you might not make it. Today’s lineworkers seem to be more open to having a female on the crew and helping them. You still have your head on a swivel, and you may be centered out if you can’t keep up with the guys.
Working as a Woman in the Trade
When I’m climbing, I often wish I was 2 in. taller because sometimes I need to position myself to reach a piece of steel to pull myself up. If I’m cutting a big wire, I use my shoulders just to pull it down because I don’t really have the strength of most guys. I have to use my body to my advantage.
Finding the Proper PPE
There are finally smaller gloves to fit women in the trades. When I started, I was wearing a men’s medium, which was ridiculous because my hands barely fit in them. Now they have smalls and extra-smalls in gloves, except for the rubber gloves, which don’t fit me at all. The smallest ones they gave me were size 8, and my hands were still floating in them, and it was hard to hold the tools and do the job. I know a lot of girls struggle with finding boots, but I don’t have small feet, so I got lucky there. It’s still challenging to find workwear that fits me, however. Our company ordered some new clothing a few years ago for me, and I had to go two sizes up, and it still didn’t fit right. It’s also hard for females in this trade to find fall protection like harnesses and belts that fit. I’ve heard that there are female harnesses out there, but I’ve never seen one. As far as climbing belts, I've actually heard of other females kicking out, and their belt comes right up to their armpits. That is scary. Your belt should not be going up there.
Memorable Moment
When I first started, our crew, which was mostly apprentices, was able to build a tower line from the ground up. I had the opportunity to read prints, go on a diving board for the first time and use a fiberglass ladder.
Storm Work
I missed a few storms because I was on light duty from my knee. In the future, however, it doesn’t matter where they go—I would go anywhere to help. We don’t get called out for storms often because we work in construction, but I would like to help put people’s power back on. I’m one of those people who like to help others. When I was younger, I wanted to be a storm chaser, and now I’m a lineworker.
Promoting the Trades
When I first started out, I didn’t know anything about the skilled trades. After I began working in the field, I realized that a lot of people don’t even know what a power line technician is. When I go out and talk about my job, I can give them my belt and let them hold it. When they grab it, they say, “this is heavy,” but that’s without any of my tools in it. I tell them that I climb with my tools with a hand line attached to me. I like going and talking about my job and seeing the females’ reactions. I love it when someone is like, “I can do that job.”
Succeeding in the Apprenticeship
To make it in the apprenticeship program, you need to have an open mind, be part of the crew, pull your own weight and don’t take things to heart. Also, if you’re a woman, don’t let being a girl turn you down. There are a lot more females coming into the trade. For transmission, you also need to be fit, so make sure you are going to the gym. When I was trying to get in the trade, I was tiny, but I ended up beefing myself up a bit more. Luckily, I did because everything on the transmission side is heavier than on the distribution side.
Tools and Technologies
The tools I use depend on the job. When I’m topping a tower, I like the job spud and cab bar and our climbing stick when I’m going up. I enjoy trying out different equipment like a track bucket, side by side or a crane. It’s always changing, and I get to see different tools and try new things. We used to have ratchet cutters, and now we have battery-powered cutters, so now instead of ratcheting, depending on the thickness of the wire, you can cut it just like that. Bucket trucks are also nice, especially when they reach the top of the tower because some days, you don’t want to climb all the time.
Spotlight on Safety
With my company, it’s all about safety, and we have training sessions every year. We learn about pole-top rescue, tower rescue, CPR and First Aid. We also get training on Argos, snowmobiles, and depending on where you’re at, boats. I’m on a good crew where everyone looks out for each other. I just make sure that my PPE is in good shape, and I keep an eye out all the time and ask questions.
Future Plans
I want to stay on the transmission side depending on how my knee holds up. Unfortunately, I’ve had three knee surgeries, and one day, I’ll need a knee replacement. I don't know if I can just get lucky and be a ground crew and stay on the line side. If not, I'd like to maybe go on the electrical side and work in a station as an electrician and have two trades under me. I love being outside, working with my hands and being around tools.
Editor’s Note: If you would like to nominate an apprentice for Faces of the Future, please email Field Editor Amy Fischbach at [email protected]. All profiled apprentice lineworkers will receive a tool package from Milwaukee Tool. Also, to learn more about Kendra Secerin and her career in the line trade, be sure to check out our new Faces of the Future series for T&D World’s Line Life Podcast on Podbean at linelife.podbean.com.
