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City of Los Angeles - LADWP Steam Plant Assistant

185K views 399 replies 48 participants last post by  Sanderhawk 
#1 · (Edited)
UPDATE 11/28/2014 :
The application for the test is now available. Last day to apply is 12/11/2014.

http://agency.governmentjobs.com/lacity/default.cfm?action=viewjob&jobid=1014298

One year of high school chemistry, physics, or electronics is all that is needed to apply... Or one semester or quarter at the college level.

More info about the job:

https://docs.google.com/presentatio...tart=true&loop=false&delayms=60000&slide=id.p






This is an entry level job working in a steam plant (power plant). Minimum requirement is a year of high school chemistry/physics/electronics (see the job bulletin for more details). There are 4 plants around LA: Long Beach, Wilmington, El Segundo, and Sun Valley. Full medical and dental for you and immediate family. Pension for retirement.

City of Los Angeles Employment Opportunities

This is where I started out five years ago, it can lead to operations, maintenance mechanic, or instrument tech. Operations works a rotating shift, 10 days on 4 days off (dayshift, then swing shift, then graveyards, then back to dayshift). Maintenance and Instrumentation are on straight day shifts (5 and 2 or a 9/80 schedule). You will work in operations for at least 2 years. After you pass you trainee test you can then apply to go into one of the other disciplines if you want (again after a minium of 2 years in operations).

PDF job description here: http://labrel.ladwp.com/Database/82-85602.pdf

Apply if you qualify, it will take a few months for the whole process from exam to hiring to run its course and the list (of those passing) will be good for at least a couple of years. This exam comes up maybe once every two or three years for a short window of time... don't miss it.

If you have any questions, post them here and I'll try and answer them as best I can.
 
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#7 ·
I don't have direct experience with them, but I've been to user conferences and have been to the Houston facility. Aside from some engine problems, many of the issues involve the package and accessories. Make sure your company sends people to the Western Turbine Users conference in San Diego next spring (WTUI.com). Lots of good info there.
 
#20 ·
I'll be totally honest here... I don't own an FJ. I stumbled upon this thread by searching Google for "Steam Plant Assistant", trying to find any relative info or threads regarding this job.

I was in the AM session and I feel like I definitely passed the test with a score of about 85%. Hopefully that is a high enough score to proceed from the eligible list! I know you only need 70% to pass, but they won't hire everyone who passes; only about the top 15% or so.

I think it takes about 4-8 weeks to get your results back. Goodluck to you!
 
#22 ·
Superheat, since you work there, I was wondering if you have any idea how many Steam Plant Assistants they plan on hiring from this test? On an earlier post I said the top 15% of those who pass, but that was purely speculation. Is it possible/likely they would hire everyone who passes the test?
 
#23 ·
Remember, there is a process. A month after you get your results, you may get a letter for a background check. If you clear, you will advance to the interview and physical test which could take a few more months. The written test is the first hurdle. It takes time. Be patient. Some folks I spoke to said it took 2 years to get in.
 
#31 ·
When they start pulling people for interview/classes they go by score or rank. So if they want to pick up 50 people (just a random number) and the 50th person falls right in the middle of all those who scored 85, they will take all those people with the score of 85, or that rank. So instead of 50 they might have 57 people.
 
#35 ·
From what I have heard there were a total of 396 people who passed the exam.

Of those 396 people, 145 are promotional (people who already work for the City of LA).

When they start doing interviews they will pull from the promotional people first and continue until they exhaust those 145 people.

Then they will move on to the "open" list: everyone else who passed... The other 251 people.

DWP hopes to have a new class of trainees starting in January. Which means interviews and background checks in Nov/Dec. This is all tenative and could change next week.
 
#38 ·
DWP hopes to have a new class of trainees starting in January. Which means interviews and background checks in Nov/Dec. This is all tenative and could change next week.
That's great news! I'm pretty sure I won't be in that class since I'm basically number 260, but it gives me a general idea of how things are moving along. If you hear any news regarding that, would you mind updating us please?
 
#36 ·
so that brings another question..... My letter says there is 34 people who scored higher than me. I know that city employees get, I think its .25% of a point for every year that they have worked for the city, is that already factored in or am I 35 AFTER the 145?
 
#37 ·
You are 35 AFTER the 145. Basically, there are two lists. The first list is the promotional list (current LA City employees) and then the open list (everyone else). So in essence, you are number 180.

Btw, grats on getting in rank 7! That was what, 89%? I'm rank 14 with an 82%.

I really really hope they get to the Open List... There are a lot of people ahead of us already on the Promotional List.
 
#41 ·
I dont think that there is 2 seperate lists. Why would they have the part where the score can be added for senority/military on our paper if it doesnt apply. The job bulletin says that open candidates may be selected over promotional candidates if they score higher. So i think we are where we at out of everybody.
 
#42 ·
You are right, the job bulletin does say that, but it doesn't mean they will do that. It would be nice if they did, though.

I know for a fact there are 2 lists because I know someone on the Promotional List. I also know that this person has gone down to the LA Personnel office to review both lists. The seniority credit is a tool to reward those who have been working for the city longer.

Do you remember filling out the scantron at the beginning of the test? You had to fill in a bubble that says "Open" or "Promotional". That's also how you know that there are two lists. Believe me, I wish just as much as you that there wasn't two lists and we had exactly as much of a chance as the letter tells us, but unfortunately it is not so. We need to wait for LA DWP to go through all of those 145 people on the Promotional List before we can even think of being called. How long that will take or how many people they plan on hiring, who knows, but I hope we get in!
 
#43 ·
Some promotional people take the test just to take the test. Some promotional people will take the test because they might be getting laid off.

There have been tests that I've taken that I don't plan on following through on, but I take the test just as practice at test taking and to keep options open.

Rotating shifts will scare off a lot of promotional people I think, as well as all the studying you have to do for the job. There is a lot of studying and reading you do for this job. If you do not like school, you probably wont like this job.
 
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