When Rita Romero showed up Friday for graduation at Los Angeles Trade Technical College, the other women in her class barely recognized her in a dress.

For four months of daily classes, they wore hard hats, boots and heavy work belts to clamber up poles and muscle their way into the profession of utility linemen, becoming the first all-female class at the school to earn their certificates in the trade.

“We’re not used to seeing each other dolled up,” said the former jewelry designer. “We’re out in the pole yard drenched in sweat.”

When the certificate ceremony was over, the women changed out of their dresses and summer suits to demonstrate the skills they hope will earn them well-paying jobs with local utilities.

“I truly enjoy climbing the poles. It’s an adrenaline rush, and I’ve earned my way to the top, literally,” Romero said.

The 22 women snapped photos and proudly introduced their families to their instructor, Ken Bushman, then scaled the utility poles in the trade school’s training yard.

Olga Legostayeva, who earned the instructors’ “best climber” award, perched 30 feet up with her feet angled against a wobbly utility pole to reach across to a classmate who clung to a nearby pole.

Linemen have traditionally been men and the work is physically demanding. Women hold only 2 percent of the utility transmission and distribution positions, said school administrator Leticia Barajas.

The class met every morning at 7 for physical conditioning and practice on the poles. In the afternoons the students studied electrical distribution and safety procedures until 5 p.m.

The long days were worth it, the women said, because utility companies are hiring and entry-level apprenticeships start at around $30 per hour in Southern California.

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