FIRST CLASS POTENTIAL

Q&A with NTC Trainee Justin Rosenauer

In the last Field Notes, we introduced our National Training Center's ambitious new training program, designed to provide the electrical testing industry with highly trained, highly motivated technicians and engineers. As our first class prepared to finish the inaugural Level I-II Accelerated Training course, we caught up with one of the trainees, Justin Rosenauer.

Q: Hi, Justin. Thanks for talking with us on your lunch break. How is the training going? What stage have you reached?
A: It's going great. We're in the final week now. The last little bit before we're ready to head out.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your background? How old are you? Where are you from?
A: I'm 20 years old. I was born and raised in a small town down in south central Texas – Weimar, Texas – about two thousand people. I just graduated TSTC [Texas State Technical College] in December.

Q: What did you get a degree in?
A: I have two associate degrees, one in Instrumentation, the other in Electrical Power and Control.

Q: What led you to enrolling in the Level I-II Accelerated Training Program?
A: When National came to TSTC for the interviewing process, they mentioned they were going to be having this training. One of the main reasons I chose National was because of this program. I felt like it would give me a jumpstart on all the other graduates heading out into the testing and maintenance field.

Q: What about the training appealed to you?
A: Just the fact that they weren't going to be putting us out straight into the field without giving us the background information on what we're going to be doing day–in and day–out in the workplace.

Q: How many people are training with you? Do they have similar backgrounds?
A: There are seven of us. It's a really cool group. Got to know all of the guys. One of the guys is an engineer from India. Another guy is an ex–Marine. A couple of the guys I actually knew from school. I think I'm the youngest.

Q: What would you say the most beneficial part of this training has been for you?
A: The amount of lab time we got to put in and the hands–on experience we received. I mean everything you do in the classroom, you see it – but once you actually get to do it, it really fortifies your knowledge.

Q: How important do you think training is in this field?
A: Training is extremely important because without proper training with the style of job that this is, you wouldn't be able to do the work safely. Safety is the most important thing of all. Training is very key to being safe.

Q: How much does the training stress safety?
A: Every day, that's all we talk about is safety. It's very important to everybody here. It's important to us, too. We want to make it home to our loved ones.

Q: Okay, Pop Quiz! Can you name and describe one of the 4 Basic Maintenance Philosophies?
A: I'll go with Preventative Maintenance. It's the routine maintenance we do on the switchgear to make sure everybody's operations keep running smoothly. We come in every one or two years, run our tests and do upgrades on stuff that needs to be checked out.

Q: Very good. Now can you recite from memory Article 130, section 1 of the NFPA 70E Standard?
A: Ha. No.

Q: Just kidding. Seriously, what are your plans after you finish this training? Do you feel like you're prepared for a job in the industry?
A: One of the guys at training and I are going to be working in the Gulf Coast division of the company. So we're going to head down there and start our careers and get going with it. I feel like this program has me way more prepared than I would have been just straight out of school. I still have a lot to learn, along with everybody else. But I'm happy to move down there and see what I can make of it.

Q: Finally, any advice for people looking to get into this field?
A: Come to work every day with an open mind. In the four weeks I've been here I've learned something new every hour of every day. Every day on the job I'm sure I'll learn something new.

Return to Spring 2016 Field Notes