APOD Firearms

Anyone know anything about Electrician Apprenticeships?

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  • Axxe55

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    Another consideration. Even if you went the route of going to a trade school to learn a career, most are typically two years or less to gain the basic skills to perform that job skill. Student debt for a trade school is much less than the typical college or university, which means a person will end up earning more money faster while having their student debt paid off much faster than some college trained idiot with his degree in something he can't even get a decent paying job with.
     

    Gummi Bear

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    OP -

    You do not have to join the union to attend an apprenticeship school.

    I went through open shop apprenticeship, and now have been teaching there for several years (2nd year)

    I got my journeyman license at 24, and passed my masters test when I was 29

    I’m happy to discuss it with you


    The reality is, that the union is indeed present here in Texas, but not nearly as powerful or influential as they are in other parts of the country. There’s a handful of contractors here in DFW, they’re a bit more prominent down around Houston and the ports. Once you break down the real costs, you’ll make a comparable living working for an open shop, without the politics and other shenanigans.



    I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...

    Henry David Thoreau
     

    smittyb

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    Here's my 2 cents. If you want to be a residential/commercial electrician, stay merit based (non-union), unless you are moving to Houston or SA.
    If you want to go transmission or distribution, join the IBEW. I dislike unions' political shenanigans, but it just might save your life.
     

    stuhoevel

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    I'm not in the trades but I have to keep up with pay scales. The one thing I have heard is they like federally funded jobs because those jobs have to use the Davis Bacon Wage Act prevailing wage and it is higher than the open shops, at least here in San Antonio.

    There is alot of good information and advice in this thread. Not just for the apprenticeship program but in general, show up, be attentive, work hard, etc.

    I'm going to throw out a different option. Learn what you can in the trades, how to read the plans, what it takes to buld and install those systems. Then in 5 to 10 years look into cost estimating. Three of my best hires have been from the plumbing, hvac and electrical trades. Two of them are still with me and they teach me something new every week.
     

    mongoose

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    I'm not in the trades but I have to keep up with pay scales. The one thing I have heard is they like federally funded jobs because those jobs have to use the Davis Bacon Wage Act prevailing wage and it is higher than the open shops, at least here in San Antonio.

    There is alot of good information and advice in this thread. Not just for the apprenticeship program but in general, show up, be attentive, work hard, etc.

    I'm going to throw out a different option. Learn what you can in the trades, how to read the plans, what it takes to buld and install those systems. Then in 5 to 10 years look into cost estimating. Three of my best hires have been from the plumbing, hvac and electrical trades. Two of them are still with me and they teach me something new every week.
    Open or Closed shops are required to both use the Davis Bacon rates on a job specifying the scale. I’ve bid various projects which specified the DB rates be used, not just Federal jobs.
     

    Axxe55

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    This is just an observation from my own personal perspective in the trades industry as a mechanic

    There really isn't an "apprenticeship" in mechanics and repairing vehicles, trucks, heavy equipment, marine or farm equipment. Sometimes a shop will hire a helper to do shop cleaning, running parts, and grunt work that no one else wants to do. Occasionally, one of the older more experienced mechanics will mentor a helper if he shows potential to wanting to learn, and has a good work ethic and attitude.

    In many of the shops I managed over the years, I looked more at the person's attitude and work ethic and having an ability for mechanical aptitude than if they were the best whiz-bang mechanic to walk in looking to hire on.

    I could teach that person to be a good mechanic. You can't teach someone work ethic or having a positive "can-do" attitude. Those should have been learned when they were growing up IMO.

    In any of the trades, you have to be willing to do the dirty grunt work that others put off on you. Think of it as test to to see if your are worthy in their eyes of taking the time to teach you the trade.

    It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it!

    When I started learning how to mechanic, I started off in my uncle's repair shop. I was treated no worse, and no better than anyone else working for my uncle. And just because he owned the shop, didn't grant me any special favors by a long-shot.

    But some things I learned from my uncle and the guys that worked for him. Earn your keep. Volunteer to do the dirty jobs. Learn other people's jobs as well. Be the first to work, ready to go to work, and be the last to leave. When you complete a task, go find the supervisor or manager and ask what needs to be done next. Learn to be initiative and looking around to see for yourself what needs to be done. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you don't understand something.
     

    Daley_G

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    ^^^ THIS.

    You can't train give-a-snot or work ethic. Last kid I hired was a SPONGE and would soak up anything I was willing to teach him. Like @Axxe55 said: first to show up, last to leave, and always look for something to do - especially if it's something that will make life easier for those above you. Conversely, spend your time on your cell phone with your girlfriend and you'll be the first out the door.

    A few old sayings that have brought me my success in life:

    • You're either on your way up or you're on your way out
    • Do what you said you'd do, before you said you'd do it
    • Always deliver more than expected
    • The job is going to get done - you get to decide if it's done by you or your replacement
     

    Axxe55

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    ^^^ THIS.

    You can't train give-a-snot or work ethic. Last kid I hired was a SPONGE and would soak up anything I was willing to teach him. Like @Axxe55 said: first to show up, last to leave, and always look for something to do - especially if it's something that will make life easier for those above you. Conversely, spend your time on your cell phone with your girlfriend and you'll be the first out the door.

    A few old sayings that have brought me my success in life:

    • You're either on your way up or you're on your way out
    • Do what you said you'd do, before you said you'd do it
    • Always deliver more than expected
    • The job is going to get done - you get to decide if it's done by you or your replacement

    Excellent post!
     

    gdr_11

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    I managed all of the trades, and each had its own requirements that made some guys excel while others would fail. Work ethics aside (which as mentioned is 90% of everything) you need to determine if your strengths lie in being creative, persistent, problem solving, math, visualization (reading schematics and routing piping/wiring, etc.) Some guys can look at a maze of obstructions then grab a pipe bender and go to work on conduit without ever looking up, achieving a perfect fit. Others will measure, bend, remeasure, bend and end up throwing away a half dozen conduits before they are done. Not everyone is cut out for every job no matter how well they learn the basics.

    From personal experience, do not go into electrical work if you are not 100% committed to safety and learning how to stay healthy from the old guys who have done this for years. I have unfortunately seen experience electricians killed, maimed and crippled for life because they forgot a basic safety protocol one time in 20 years. Especially if you are working on high voltage, it is no joke. Distribution and substation work is only for a select few who want to live a long life.
     

    Sam Colt

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    Experienced electricians tell me, “It’s not if you’ll get bit, but when.”

    My time came as an apprentice while doing overhead demo work on a shop floor that was being reconfigured. I was up a ladder pulling out conduit for an old 277/480 run.

    My journeyman, in another room, tore my safety tape off the breaker and flipped it on. I had a live lead in one hand and a ground in the other. It felt like a giant was crushing me in his fist as I convulsed, seemingly forever, at the top of the ladder.

    Another worker said he thought I was clowning around until my convulsions threw me off the ladder. Doctors later said it was probably the impact with the concrete floor that restarted my heart.

    For weeks, if I walked into a dark room I’d ask my wife to please turn on the light switch. 35 years later I’ll still do light electrical work at home, but I always rub the scar on my middle finger where my fingerprint was burned off while I think carefully about the safety issues first.
     

    oldag

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    Experienced electricians tell me, “It’s not if you’ll get bit, but when.”

    My time came as an apprentice while doing overhead demo work on a shop floor that was being reconfigured. I was up a ladder pulling out conduit for an old 277/480 run.

    My journeyman, in another room, tore my safety tape off the breaker and flipped it on. I had a live lead in one hand and a ground in the other. It felt like a giant was crushing me in his fist as I convulsed, seemingly forever, at the top of the ladder.

    Another worker said he thought I was clowning around until my convulsions threw me off the ladder. Doctors later said it was probably the impact with the concrete floor that restarted my heart.

    For weeks, if I walked into a dark room I’d ask my wife to please turn on the light switch. 35 years later I’ll still do light electrical work at home, but I always rub the scar on my middle finger where my fingerprint was burned off while I think carefully about the safety issues first.

    That is why there are Lock Out programs. Never trust tape or tags alone.
     

    rp-

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    I'm a journeyman electrician AND a journeyman plumber.

    My input, the apprentice license is easy to get. Get one and then talk to a local electrical company and ask them for a job and ask them to train you. This way you can make money and work on your license.

    You're bound to start off being the grunt and getting a lot of shit work but once you learn you will move up. It takes 4 years to be eligible for the jman test. It's an open book multiple choice test. It's hard but if you know how to use the book you'll be ok.

    That said, if I was starting over today I'd look into plumbing more than electrical. Plumbers make a lot of money and it's easy to learn. The jman test is a little harder but if you start with a company you should be able to learn the stuff to take the test. Again, you're looking at 4 years before you can take the jman test though.

    Either route you're bound to make a ton of money but I say forget about going union. Personally, I work for a pool company doing equipment repairs. It's a whole other trade in itself.

    Sent from my LM-G820 using Tapatalk
     

    Axxe55

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    Experienced electricians tell me, “It’s not if you’ll get bit, but when.”

    My time came as an apprentice while doing overhead demo work on a shop floor that was being reconfigured. I was up a ladder pulling out conduit for an old 277/480 run.

    My journeyman, in another room, tore my safety tape off the breaker and flipped it on. I had a live lead in one hand and a ground in the other. It felt like a giant was crushing me in his fist as I convulsed, seemingly forever, at the top of the ladder.

    Another worker said he thought I was clowning around until my convulsions threw me off the ladder. Doctors later said it was probably the impact with the concrete floor that restarted my heart.

    For weeks, if I walked into a dark room I’d ask my wife to please turn on the light switch. 35 years later I’ll still do light electrical work at home, but I always rub the scar on my middle finger where my fingerprint was burned off while I think carefully about the safety issues first.
    That is why there are Lock Out programs. Never trust tape or tags alone.

    I have used tape or tags in the past to denote that power was off and why. And yes, locks and lock-out devises are much better and much safer.

    And @Sam Colt, the journeyman was an idiot. I hope he was fired for violating a safety protocol. I know I would have fired him. He should have known that there was a reason that the breaker was taped over while being off. That is just common sense. He should have inquired about removing the tape and if it was safe to turn the breaker on.

    If working at a customer's place, and the owner, or customer had removed the tape, and turned the breaker back, I'd be a little more understanding that such things happen. But the failure there would have been in communication with the customer or owner of the place the work was being performed at.

    I have to agree with @oldag that locks and lock-out devices are the best option for safety.
     
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