On Electrician's Day, learn about the functions of this essential professional for Neoenergia

Electricians are always in the field to ensure that the energy will reach all consumers with quality and safety. Whether in generation, transmission or distribution, they act in different functions, which complement each other and result in the service of excellence provided by Neoenergia. On the Electrician Day, October 17, we tell the history of four of our employees.​​

At 28, Ana Raíza Casusa (center of the photo) decided to change her life. She left her career as a teacher to become an electrician in the commercial area of Cosern, Neoenergia's concessionaire in Rio Grande do Norte. A month ago, she started to be part of the team that makes new connections in the region of Mossoró, in the Potiguar (Brazilian word for the state of Rio Grande do Norte) hinterland. "I´ve always admired this area, but I was conditioned to be a teacher. The fact of being a woman in our society ended up distancing us a little, but we do not have to be afraid of change, we know that we can do whatever we want. Now I'm discovering myself, wanting to invest in the profession”, she says.​

Ana Raíza was a student at the Electricians School, an initiative of the company to encourage the training of residents of its areas of operation. Demonstrating love for the new function, she is already a mirror for other women. "The profession has an enormous importance, we take the development of areas like health and work everywhere. I always tell how it is the daily life in the company and I am already an inspiration. I show that they have conditions to be here too”, she says. In 2021, she intends to specialize by taking an electrotechnical course and then a college.​​​

At the Neoenergia distributors, the Commercial Technical Service electricians, like her, can act in functions such as new energy connections and reconnections, as well as reviewing and gauging customers' meters. There are two more possibilities: being a Grid electrician, who does the corrective and preventive maintenance of the distribution grid, or Sub transmission, working on the maintenance and operation of transmission lines and substations. The main objective of all is to guarantee the operability and availability of the grid, with safety and quality of service provision.​​

Norberto Barbosa, 26 years old, was hired five years ago by Elektro, after taking the course at the Electricians School, and today works reestablishing the energy when there are interruptions in the region of Guarujá, on the coast of São Paulo. "I love what I do very much, it's a very important profession because everything depends on energy, even cars are already electric, to have a more sustainable planet. What I like most is to see the customer satisfied, once a lady was so happy with our work that she asked to take pictures with the team", he says.​​​

On a daily basis, Norberto and the team he works with receive instructions from the Operation and Information Center (COI) of the distributor about places where there are records of failures in the grid, which can be caused by several factors, such as traffic accidents or tree branches. When they arrive at the place they talk to the customers and check where and what caused the problem, to make the repair in the fastest and safest way.​

Edilson Mesquita de Souza, 37, has a degree in electrical engineering and works on Neoenergia's newest transmission line, which started operating in July in Mato Grosso do Sul. Before that, he worked for 11 years at Elektro, in the areas of distribution and transmission, and has another previous training in zootechny.​

"I made the change in search of professional growth. From distribution to transmission, I participated in internal selections of the company, I wanted to work in this area. We have to have a lot of attention and technique, because we deal with high voltage, we are on 230 kV lines", he says. The electrician is one of the professionals who climbs to heights of 40 to 80 meters to do services such as equipment maintenance. And all this dedication was recognized: in 2019, he was the safety highlight in the eastern region of Elektro's concession area, where he worked until April this year. Besides working in maintenance, as Edilson, the electricians in the transmission area can be substation technicians.​