Unitil lineworker
The outage couldn't have come at a worse time.
While we were there the family was in the window watching us work and there were these two little girls. We did our work and they were really happy. They actually said, 'Thank you for saving our Christmas' and they made a card while we were working and came out with it. It was a cool experience. They really appreciated it,' Voisine said.
For Voisine, receiving that 'Thank You' card from the young girls was a moment he'll never forget. 'Those things go a long way. It's hard to be away from my family, but when you know that you're helping other families and you're making their day, it's worth it,' he said.
The encounter with that grateful family is a reminder of just how rewarding electrical line work can be for employees like Voisine, who is among the more than 100,000 lineworkers in
The role that lineworkers play in keeping our homes, businesses and communities powered in good weather and bad cannot be overstated. They must always be ready to respond, often braving the elements while working as quickly and safely as they can to bring the lights back on during challenging conditions,' said Unitil External Affairs Manager
This year
Becoming a lineworker was a career path that Voisine never envisioned for himself while growing up in the
I thought I'd be doing that my whole life, but I had a family friend down the road from us who was involved in line work,' said Voisine, who works out of Unitil's electric operations facility in
It was that friend who changed Voisine's mind and put him on the path toward a career as a lineworker. He recalled how he began to take an interest in the profession while the friend was performing some work at his parents' house. A few months later, the friend asked if Voisine would be interested in working with his crew, which was employed by a utility contractor. Voisine decided to take him up on the offer and began an apprenticeship with the contractor at the age of 21. He was still an apprentice and new to the job when Superstorm Sandy hit in 2012 and he was sent to
That was quite an experience,' said Voisine, who's spent 12 years in the utility industry - nearly six of those as a Unitil employee who has worked two stints in the company's
It is following storm outages when Unitil's
Gauvin was working fulltime at a warehouse when a coworker's roommate shared with him that he just graduated from an apprenticeship program to become a lineworker. 'It seemed like a great career option,' Gauvin said. He signed up for the same program through the
After taking an aptitude test, IBEW set Gauvin up with paid on-the-job training, at-home study, and classroom instruction, which took about 7,000 hours over 3 1/2 years to complete. 'My training was with a third-party independent contractor that specialized in building new construction electrical systems for a large regional utility company,' Gauvin said. He ended up staying with the company for 10 years before joining Unitil. Gauvin also added that he was able to complete the program in less time due to accruing so many hours during the five weeks spent in
It is rewarding and I definitely enjoy the work, especially being outdoors on most days,' Gauvin said. 'It can also be challenging on cold days or when we must go out late at night or weekends, but there is a great deal of satisfaction that comes from keeping the power flowing 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.'
While he's found linework to be a fulfilling career and one that has given him opportunities to see other regions while assisting with power restoration following major storms, Voisine admits that the job can also be challenging, especially for those with families at home. His children are 9 and 11 and he knows how tough it can be when he misses special moments with family.
But that's part of the job,' he said. 'There have been times when I haven't had power at my house, but I'm still here because that's the job. People are appreciative when they see us and happy that we're there.'
About Unitil
Contact:
Tel: 603-773-6404
Email: omeara@unitil.com
(C) 2023 Electronic News Publishing, source