Renee Rosplock is a 44-year-old electrician who is in her first year as an apprentice at NYSEG. She first became interested in the electrical field when she used to help her husband with electrical problems around the house. Her husband also works for NYSEG. Her apprenticeship will last a total of five years. When she completes the apprenticeship she will be a fully qualified UC & M electrician (utilities, construction, and maintenance). After her first six months of training she had to take a basic electricity test to assess her skills.
Renee has children who are now grown up. She said because she was a mother, she had to stay working in a less demanding field because she had responsibility to her children. Renee has been working for NYSEG for nineteen years. She started in the gas department, then continued working as a meter reader, general maintenance and in the office as a receptionist. She chose to work as a receptionist after an injury. She was rear ended and was forced to take a less strenuous position. However, she felt the job wasn't challenging enough for her. She decided to find more physically challenging work when she was healthy. The process that is used by NYSEG for obtaining jobs includes getting bids. When there is a job bid open you may apply for it but you must be ready to give your time and energy toward getting the job. Now that Renee's children are grown she had the opportunity to bid on an electrical position.
When Renee was growing up she lived on a farm. She was expected to complete her work and pull her own weight everyday. She grew up with brothers so she had to be aggressive and tough. Her mother encouraged her to work hard and do just as much hard work as her brothers. Her mother taught her that it didn't matter that she was a girl, if there was a job to be done she could accomplish it just as well as her brothers.
Her first day on the job she told us that the men she works with stood back and watched what she would do. She said she got just as dirty as everyone else did and pulled her own weight.
The men that work with her seemed to have a tremendous amount of respect for her because she doesn't make an issue out of the fact she is a woman. She doesn't want special treatment; she wants to be seen as a hard worker. Another good part of her farm background is the fact that she is in good physical condition. She doesn't have a hard time lifting or moving equipment because she is in good shape.