PLAN No. 1208. ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
This department of an electric company is responsible for the design and construction of the system as a whole. A chief engineer is the executive head. To assist him there are assistant engineers, inspectors, and draftsmen. The chief engineer and his principal assistants are, ordinarily, men of mature years and much experience. Hence, there is little possibility of a returned soldier qualifying for one of these positions unless he has previously done similar work. But there are opportunities to start in the engineering department as inspectors or draftsmen. The inspectors are “outside” men. Much of their work is in the open. They compile information and reports on engineering projects, on work which is under way, or which has been completed. These notes are utilized in the office in the preparation of drawings and specifications which show the construction departments what to do and how to do it. The draftsmen make the drawings from which the blueprints for construction jobs are reproduced. Any man who has had previous electrical construction experience and who can get around outside and see, hear, and write, should be able to qualify for an engineering inspector’s position. The future offers him the possibility of becoming an assistant engineer.
Engineering drafting offers inviting opportunities for disabled men because much of the work can be done by a person who can sit at a drawing table and use his hands and eyes. Lack of speech and hearing are not insurmountable handicaps because directions can be given and questions asked in writing. There are some one-handed draftsmen. Frequently a draftsman has a job assigned to him and is then left to himself to work it out. He may not speak to or be spoken to by any one for half a day at a time.
Another feature of drafting work which in this connection is important, is that it is possible to utilize men of all grades of ability, provided they have some knowledge of mechanical drawing. If a man can make a fairly good tracing, even if he knows nothing whatever of design, he can be very useful. He can gradually acquire that knowledge of the principles which is necessary to develop him into a draftsman-designer or an engineer. It is, however, essential that, at the start, the candidate know a little about mechanical drawing. Concerns do not usually care to break in a man who has no knowledge whatever of this subject.
Such elementary knowledge as is required may be obtained by taking a Federal Board short course. Men in the engineering department work about eight or nine hours a day. A tracer beginning at the work may earn from $30 to $60 per month. After a man can do some designing he may earn from $60 to $125 per month, depending upon his experience and ability. If a draftsman develops into a designer or assistant engineer he may expect from $125 to $200 per month or more.