# 2nd Year expectations



## chris856 (Jun 12, 2009)

I just started my apprenticeship and am thinking about challenging the first year. I have four thousand hours and I can be credited for up to 1900 putting me weeks away from my third period wage. I am in a program where I am doing all the first year school in three months so I won't miss out on any classroom training.
I've done mostly resi and a few TIs, but not much EMT work, I can bend some 90s and 30 degree offsets but haven't done many long conduit runs. 
Do 2nd years still work pretty close with thier Journeymen? 
I don't want to screw myself over by getting dispatched and not meeting expectations cause I didn't get enough on the job training.


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## miller_elex (Jan 25, 2008)

Don't bother.

Just do the time, you will thank yourself later.

Old Japanese saying: Head that sticks out, gets chopped off.


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## Rockyd (Apr 22, 2007)

miller_elex said:


> Don't bother.
> 
> Just do the time, you will thank yourself later.
> 
> Old Japanese saying: Head that sticks out, gets chopped off.


Got to agree with Miller on this one, in this economy, being a little over qualified, and smart enough to know it, may mean a lot more work than the other option. The other option? That's not being able to meet, or exceed qualifications, besides, if you do good through most of the program, you can go to the board towards the end of your apprenticeship for "more hours credit".


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## chris856 (Jun 12, 2009)

Right on. Thanks guys.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

chris856 said:


> I just started my apprenticeship and am thinking about challenging the first year. I have four thousand hours and I can be credited for up to 1900 putting me weeks away from my third period wage. I am in a program where I am doing all the first year school in three months so I won't miss out on any classroom training.
> I've done mostly resi and a few TIs, but not much EMT work, I can bend some 90s and 30 degree offsets but haven't done many long conduit runs.
> Do 2nd years still work pretty close with thier Journeymen?
> I don't want to screw myself over by getting dispatched and not meeting expectations cause I didn't get enough on the job training.


Take your time and get as much on the job training as you can.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

chris856 said:


> Right on. Thanks guys.



If you guys do any demo work see if you can get scrap emt and just practice doing all kindes of bends..:thumbup:


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## chris856 (Jun 12, 2009)

HARRY304E said:


> If you guys do any demo work see if you can get scrap emt and just practice doing all kindes of bends..:thumbup:


 Haha, yeah I've done that.


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## Rockyd (Apr 22, 2007)

chris856 said:


> Haha, yeah I've done that.


Good to have general JW skills. I would also be looking at everything I could read on Motors, Motor control, VFD's, PLC logic, and energy management - including ATS systems. Think about where the industry, and you, are going to be ten years down the road.


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## chris856 (Jun 12, 2009)

Rockyd said:


> Good to have general JW skills. I would also be looking at everything I could read on Motors, Motor control, VFD's, PLC logic, and energy management - including ATS systems. Think about where the industry, and you, are going to be ten years down the road.


 Definetly. I'm loving the JATC, I've been going to a different school and there was no hands on learning at all. Now I see motor control, fire alarm, pipe bending, cable splicing, and welding labs among other things and I see a whole list of free classes to go to in the evening. I'm definetly going to take full advantage.


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## miller_elex (Jan 25, 2008)

HARRY304E said:


> If you guys do any demo work see if you can get scrap emt and just practice doing all kindes of bends..:thumbup:


Just buy a couple-hundred feet of 1/2 emt. It's only two-bucks a stick. Used to be one-buck, so now it's probably three-bucks.... Anyways, the joy of wasting time bending pipe on your own time, is priceless. I've had two apprentices that I bought a couple hundred feet of pipe, a half case of boxes, a box of connectors, a box of couplings, a box of straps, a bender, and had the supply house deliver it to their home. It always paid back with big dividends. One dude dropped a bender on the hood of his car, OUCH! it was a show quality car too.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

chris856 said:


> Haha, yeah I've done that.


Here is a good one to practice,,

Get a 10' stick of emt

two 4" sq boxes

A short peice of 2"pvc

Make a box offset 2' from the box have you're 2" pvc going across make a 3 point saddle so the pipe goes around the pipe 2' from the saddle make a 90 deg bend at the end of the pipe make another box offset for your other box... do that without couplings that is good to practice..:thumbsup:


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

miller_elex said:


> Just buy a couple-hundred feet of 1/2 emt. It's only two-bucks a stick. Used to be one-buck, so now it's probably three-bucks.... Anyways, the joy of wasting time bending pipe on your own time, is priceless. I've had two apprentices that I bought a couple hundred feet of pipe, a half case of boxes, a box of connectors, a box of couplings, a box of straps, a bender, and had the supply house deliver it to their home. It always paid back with big dividends. One dude dropped a bender on the hood of his car, OUCH! it was a show quality car too.


That is the best way to just get the practice in most of the good pipe benders i know did just that..:thumbup:



> it was a show quality car too


:laughing:


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## chris856 (Jun 12, 2009)

Last time I grabbed some scrap off the job I would take a 5' piece and bend two back to back 90s, put a one inch 3 point saddle in the middle and put off sets at each end, not neccesarily in that order, and try to make it all line up with no dog legs. It wasn't something you would want to pull much wire through.
I have a friend who wants to put some lights up in his garage, it will be a good chance to actually do something practical.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

chris856 said:


> Last time I grabbed some scrap off the job I would take a 5' piece and bend two back to back 90s, put a one inch 3 point saddle in the middle and put off sets at each end, not neccesarily in that order, and try to make it all line up with no dog legs. It wasn't something you would want to pull much wire through.
> I have a friend who wants to put some lights up in his garage, it will be a good chance to actually do something practical.


Thats it you can practice in your friends garage make sure you take pictures so we can make fun of you...:laughing::laughing::thumbup:


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## kaboler (Dec 1, 2010)

Some electricians challenge their first year. They recommend I do that too.

In Alberta, you can go to school and do it as fast as you want (if you can get in) and often, people are done their first year in 2 weeks.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

What you know will fill a thimble, what you do not know would fill the ocean's. Stick it out learn what you can before you know it you will have 40 years in the trade and be at the top of your game.


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## Mr Rewire (Jan 15, 2011)

brian john said:


> What you know will fill a thimble, what you do not know would fill the ocean's. Stick it out learn what you can before you know it you will have 40 years in the trade and be at the top of your game.


 or you can end up like Brian John :whistling2:


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

If I were you I'd look at the wait on the locals books. If it's a long time which I'm betting it is. I would ask to NOT be credited with those 1900 hours. Working for less, longer might be VERY smart right now.


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## chris856 (Jun 12, 2009)

Yeah it's done. I told them to forget it and now I'm starting at zero hours.


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## miller_elex (Jan 25, 2008)

chris856 said:


> Yeah it's done. I told them to forget it and now I'm starting at zero hours.


You see, now you can be ahead of the game. In class you will have an unfair advantage over the other greenhorns. This was my secret to all A's through the apprenticeship and getting the high-grade award. That and I'm super good at multiple choice.  Of course the award don't mean jack, and I knew it, so when I went up to receive it, I made a wisecrack about the dude's baldness. It was in good taste, and everybody laughed.


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

chris856 said:


> Yeah it's done. I told them to forget it and now I'm starting at zero hours.


Might be a real smart move. You might be able to weather this economy in the apprenticeship program and hopefully work pretty steady. Then when we elect someone who will get rid of free trade you'll be ready to take advantage of a better job market.


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## Sparkey (Mar 21, 2011)

Screw these old folk sayings get ur ass out there and hang with the big boys. It's not rocket science


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## RUSSIAN (Mar 4, 2008)

You may be able to negotiate a higher wage, but still do all 5 years school. That's what I, and a few of my classmates did.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Sparkey said:


> Screw these old folk sayings get ur ass out there and hang with the big boys. It's not rocket science


Under a different economy I would agree 100%, in today's economy, I'd hang where back.


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## chris856 (Jun 12, 2009)

I think I will have a much easier time making a good name for myself if I start from zero. I am in the highest paying local in my state and on wages alone I am getting a raise from my previous job, not to mention the bennies, free school, and free CEUs.
I don't need to screw myself over cause I got greedy.


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## miller_elex (Jan 25, 2008)

chris856 said:


> I don't need to screw myself over cause I got greedy.


PLEASE, teach that lesson to management. (when dealing with the customer.)


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## al13nw4r3LC76 (Apr 6, 2009)

You must have got into local 46. They have a couple hundred apprentices out of work and around 900 Journeyman. The wait for a JW is 1 and 1/2 years right now. Take the full five years


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

miller_elex said:


> PLEASE, teach that lesson to management. (when dealing with the customer.)


It is a self full filling lesson, you screw too many customers and you will not be in business.


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## chris856 (Jun 12, 2009)

Well, even after declining challenging first year they went ahead and credited me 1975 hours. That gives me about a week to prove myself as a 2nd year. We'll see how this goes.


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

chris856 said:


> Well, even after declining challenging first year they went ahead and credited me 1975 hours. That gives me about a week to prove myself as a 2nd year. We'll see how this goes.


You can just tell people you're a first year.. Not like the JW that you're working with does a back ground check..


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## chris856 (Jun 12, 2009)

Cool. I have no Idea what to expect out there. I've never been on a big jobsite and I have no idea what the culture is like. I'm no idiot when it comes to a lot of things and I'm a fast learner. I'm taking a conduit bending lab this week so hopefully that will help some.
I was talking to another apprentice and he had some previous expierience and he said they treated him like an idiot. He told me it was a good idea to play dumb and act like I was a really fast learner.
Oh well, I've never been one to fail when challenged. Hopefully the economy picks up sooner than later. The viaduct is supposed to put a lot of guys to work and there is some talk about some work at the base out in Bremerton.

How about management? Will they notice quickly that I just got a raise? They are going to be paying $7 more an hour within a week of me being on the job. That is what has me worried the most.


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

chris856 said:


> Cool. I have no Idea what to expect out there. I've never been on a big jobsite and I have no idea what the culture is like. I'm no idiot when it comes to a lot of things and I'm a fast learner. I'm taking a conduit bending lab this week so hopefully that will help some.
> I was talking to another apprentice and he had some previous expierience and he said they treated him like an idiot. He told me it was a good idea to play dumb and act like I was a really fast learner.
> Oh well, I've never been one to fail when challenged. Hopefully the economy picks up sooner than later. The viaduct is supposed to put a lot of guys to work and there is some talk about some work at the base out in Bremerton.
> 
> How about management? Will they notice quickly that I just got a raise? They are going to be paying $7 more an hour within a week of me being on the job. That is what has me worried the most.


On a big job you're just one of the apprentices. Don't worry about it. Don't get hurt. Work safe. Try to have fun.


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## al13nw4r3LC76 (Apr 6, 2009)

I'm surprised they are putting you to work. I was told 46 has a couple hundred apprentices laid off right now. Is that not true?


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## chris856 (Jun 12, 2009)

There must be something going on. I called to see how many are on the books a little over a month ago and they said 130 or so and said it wasn't likely they would take me even though I was at the top of the list. A week later I got a call and they gave me 2 different options for joining and then I was in the next day.
I checked the out of work book and there are about 90 apprentices out of work now.


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## RUSSIAN (Mar 4, 2008)

chris856 said:


> There must be something going on. I called to see how many are on the books a little over a month ago and they said 130 or so and said it wasn't likely they would take me even though I was at the top of the list. A week later I got a call and they gave me 2 different options for joining and then I was in the next day.
> I checked the out of work book and there are about 90 apprentices out of work now.


That big job must need cheap labor, ie; first year's. Bullsh!t if you ask me and I would be pissed if I was an out of work apprentice with a long wait and they were pulling new apprentices. Your Director and coordinator need to grow some and stand up to the contractors and the BM...


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## al13nw4r3LC76 (Apr 6, 2009)

RUSSIAN said:


> That big job must need cheap labor, ie; first year's. Bullsh!t if you ask me and I would be pissed if I was an out of work apprentice with a long wait and they were pulling new apprentices. Your Director and coordinator need to grow some and stand up to the contractors and the BM...


 I was under the impression they signed him on the books at the back. Are you actually working?


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## RUSSIAN (Mar 4, 2008)

Yes i am. If your at the back of the books then i retract my statement, I misunderstood.


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