Gas Troubleman Apprentice at Ameren Corporation
OIF veteran leverages lessons, HVAC skills he used in Iraq to land apprenticeship with Ameren Illinois.
by Warren Duffie

The call was desperate. The customer had watched someone accidentally slice through his gas line with a powerful 350-pound trencher. Money and gas were being wasted by the minute. Within moments Chris Volk was on his way to the scene.

Upon arrival, the former Army specialist unloaded his tools and began welding the line back together. It was an exhausting process – a 20-hour job – but Volk stuck with his mission and made the customer happy.

“In the military, you’re taught the importance of discipline and responsibility,” he said. “There are times when you don’t feel well, or are working in combat zones or lousy conditions, yet you focus on the task at hand. Those qualities are perfect for the civilian world as well.”

On the Job
Volk, 26, is a gas troubleman apprentice for Ameren Illinois, a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation – which provides energy services to 3.4 million electric and natural gas customers throughout Illinois and Missouri.

Based in Jacksonville, Ill., Volk troubleshoots problems, makes repairs on natural gas lines within a 60-mile radius of his operating center and responds to calls from customers reporting gas leaks at their homes or businesses. His work day usually spans 0800 to 1600.

“I really enjoy my job,” he said. “Each day is different and I spend a lot of time outdoors and on the road. I also get a lot of satisfaction working with my hands, solving problems and providing good service to customers.”

In Uniform
A native of tiny Mount Sterling, Ill., Volk wanted to get out and see the world, so he enlisted in the Army in 2002. After basic training at Fort Knox, he completed heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) school at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

Though he enjoyed his military career and made long-lasting friendships, Volk knew he wasn’t an Army “lifer.” He left the Armed Forces in 2006.

The Transition
Taking advantage of his GI Bill benefits, Volk returned home to Illinois. He enrolled at Lincolnland Community College, earning an HVAC certificate and an associate degree in commercial electrical maintenance.

“Going to school was the best thing I could do,” Volk said. “I improved my math and English skills so I could pass the entrance exams for my job with Ameren.”

After graduating in 2007, he worked as a forklift operator for a local food company before joining the ranks of Ameren Illinois. He’s currently in an apprenticeship program, which he is set to complete in June when he will become a gas utility man journeyman.

“I was looking for a good-
paying job with a solid company,” Volk said. “My dad recommended I apply to Ameren. He had worked for Ameren for 31 years and always spoke highly of it.”

“When I applied, I really pushed my experience fixing HVAC equipment in Iraq and working in combat conditions,” he continued. “I think that and my college work helped me get into the apprenticeship program. I actually took an entrance test for Ameren’s gas apprenticeship program before I went back to college but did not pass. After I studied English and math and earned my associate’s degree, I returned to Ameren and passed the test. I can’t stress enough the importance of education to your success in life.”

How’d You Get That Job?
“When I applied, I really pushed my experience fixing HVAC equipment in Iraq and working in combat conditions. I think that and my college work helped me get into the apprenticeship program. I actually took an entrance test for Ameren’s gas apprenticeship program before I went back to college but did not pass. After I studied English and math and earned my associate’s degree, I returned to Ameren and passed the test. I can’t stress enough the importance of education to your success in life.”

What Volk Likes 
About His Job

• The variety. Each day is different.
• Helping customers.
• I’m not stuck in a cubicle. I get to travel and be outdoors.

Volk’s Advice
Improve your skills. “Don’t be afraid to return to college and learn math and English. Don’t be deterred if you are not good in those subjects – you can master them. Take advantage of the GI Bill and when you enter the service, sign up for the ‘kicker,’ which provides additional funding for tuition. It may cost more initially, but the benefits make it valuable.”

Ameren Corporation
HQ: St. Louis, Mo.
Employees: 9,500 (600 with military experience)
2009 Revenue:  $7.1 billion
http://www.ameren.com/Careers/Pages/MilitaryVeteran.aspx

Did You Know?

• Nearly 600 of Ameren’s 9,500 active employees have served in the military, and 9 percent of those employees were hired within the past year.
• Ameren Missouri has been nominated for the Secretary of Defense’s “Employer Support Freedom Award,” the U.S. government’s highest recognition awarded to employers for supporting their employees in the National Guard or Army, Navy, Air Force or Coast Guard Reserve.