Power Distributors and Dispatchers

Career Description: Coordinate, regulate, or distribute electricity or steam.

Industry: Production

Other Job Titles for Power Distributors and Dispatchers:

• Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
• Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
• Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
• Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
• Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
• First Interest High-Point: Primary-Rank Descriptiveness
• Second Interest High-Point: Secondary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness
• Third Interest High-Point: Tertiary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness

• Respond to emergencies, such as transformer or transmission line failures, and route current around affected areas.
• Prepare switching orders that will isolate work areas without causing power outages, referring to drawings of power systems.
• Control, monitor, or operate equipment that regulates or distributes electricity or steam, using data obtained from instruments or computers.
• Coordinate with engineers, planners, field personnel, and other utility workers to provide information such as clearances, switching orders, and distribution process changes.
• Direct personnel engaged in controlling and operating distribution equipment and machinery, for example, instructing control room operators to start boilers and generators.
• Distribute and regulate the flow of power between entities such as generating stations, substations, distribution lines, and users, keeping track of the status of circuits and connections.
• Monitor and record switchboard and control board readings to ensure that electrical or steam distribution equipment is operating properly.
• Track conditions that could affect power needs, such as changes in the weather, and adjust equipment to meet any anticipated changes.
• Manipulate controls to adjust and activate power distribution equipment and machines.
• Calculate and determine load estimates or equipment requirements, in order to determine required control settings.
• Record and compile operational data, such as chart and meter readings, power demands, and usage and operating times, using transmission system maps.
• Inspect equipment to ensure that specifications are met, and to detect any defects.
• Tend auxiliary equipment used in the power distribution process.
• Accept and implement energy schedules, including real-time transmission reservations and schedules.
• Repair, maintain, and clean equipment and machinery, using hand tools.
• Repair and maintain metal forms and equipment, using hand tools, sledges, and bars.
• Adjust pressures, temperatures, and trimming tool settings as required.
• Operate pug mills to blend and extrude clay.
• Operate jigger machines to form ceramic ware, such as bowls, cups, plates, and saucers.
• Teach pottery classes.
• Measure or weigh materials, using rulers, calculators, and scales.
• Suspend objects such as parts or molds from cathode rods (negative terminals), and immerse objects in plating solutions.
• Measure, mark, and mask areas to be excluded from plating.
• Mix and test solutions, and turn valves to fill tanks with solutions.
• Place plated or coated materials on racks and transfer them to ovens to dry for specified periods of time.
• Plate small objects such as nuts or bolts, using motor-driven barrels.
• Read production schedules to determine setups of equipment and machines.
• Spray coating in specified patterns according to instructions.
• Position objects to be plated in frames, or suspend them from positive or negative terminals of power supplies.
• Measure and set stops, rolls, brushes, and guides on automatic feeders and conveying equipment or coating machines, using micrometers, rules, and hand tools.
• Preheat workpieces in ovens.
• Replace worn parts and adjust equipment components, using hand tools.
• Attach nozzles, position guns, connect hoses, and thread wire in order to set up metal-spraying machines.
• Remove excess materials or impurities from objects, using air hoses or grinding machines.
• Clean workpieces, using wire brushes.
• Install gears and holding devices on conveyor equipment.
• Operate sandblasting equipment to roughen and clean surfaces of workpieces.
• Cut metal or other materials, using shears or band saws.
• Charge furnaces.
• Chase decorative designs on silver blanks that are to be used as models for steel production dies.

Emerging Tasks

• Attach handles to pottery pieces.
• Design spaces to display pottery for sale.
• Load glazed pieces into kilns for firing and unload finished pieces.
• Mix and apply glazes to pottery pieces using tools such as spray guns.
• Operate gas or electric kilns to fire pottery pieces.
• Pack and ship pottery to stores or galleries for retail.

• Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Communicating with Persons Outside Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
• Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment: Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
• Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Interacting With Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• Monitoring and Controlling Resources: Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Performing General Physical Activities: Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• Provide Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
• Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment: Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Selling or Influencing Others: Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
• Staffing Organizational Units: Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
• Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Detailed Work Activities

• adjust production equipment/machinery setup
• clean equipment or machinery
• compute production, construction, or installation specifications
• confer with engineering, technical or manufacturing personnel
• direct and coordinate activities of workers or staff
• inspect machinery or equipment to determine adjustments or repairs needed
• maintain consistent production quality
• maintain equipment service records
• maintain or repair industrial or related equipment/machinery
• maintain production or work records
• monitor production machinery/equipment operation to detect problems
• operate gas, petroleum, or power distribution equipment
• perform safety inspections in manufacturing or industrial setting
• prepare safety reports
• read technical drawings
• understand technical operating, service or repair manuals
• use hand or power tools
• use high voltage apparatus
• use pneumatic tools
• use pressure gauges
• understand technical operating, service or repair manuals
• use hand or power tools
• use precision measuring tools or equipment
• use spray application production equipment
• use densitometer
• use hand or power tools
• use chemical testing or analysis procedures
• use hand or power tools
• use laboratory equipment
• use precision measuring tools or equipment
• use two-way radio or mobile phone
• use soldering equipment
• use spray paint equipment
• use hand or power woodworking tools
• use precision measuring tools or equipment
• use spray application production equipment
• use non-destructive test equipment
• use precision measuring tools or equipment
• use robotics systems technology
• use technical information in manufacturing or industrial activities
• use x-ray or magnetic inspection techniques
• weld together metal parts, components, or structures
• read specifications
• read technical drawings
• read work order, instructions, formulas, or processing charts
• recognize characteristics of alloys
• recognize characteristics of metals
• recognize characteristics of pulps
• recognize wood species characteristics
• record test results, test procedures, or inspection data
• sort manufacturing materials or products
• test manufactured products or materials
• understand engineering data or reports
• understand measuring devices
• understand technical operating, service or repair manuals
• use computers to enter, access or retrieve data
• use electrical or electronic test devices or equipment
• use hand or power tools
• use hazardous materials information
• use interpersonal communication techniques
• use knowledge of investigation techniques
• use knowledge of metric system
• use long or short term production planning techniques
• use oral or written communication techniques
• use precision measuring tools or equipment
• use quality assurance techniques
• use research methodology procedures within manufacturing or commerce
• use spreadsheet software
• use technical information in manufacturing or industrial activities
• use x-ray or magnetic inspection techniques

Overall Experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.

Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree.

Examples
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include funeral directors, electricians, forest and conservation technicians, legal secretaries, interviewers, and insurance sales agents.

• Average hourly wage (2007) -$30.44
• Average annual wage (2007) - $63,320.00

• Employment (2006): 8,571

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