# New to this website and an apprentice question.



## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

Welcome to the forum.


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## Aquinonez73 (Jan 31, 2017)

Thank you.


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## M.A.R (Jun 10, 2012)

welcome, i'm from Local 11 Los Angeles. Depending how work is around your area determines how quickly the POE list (pool of eligible) moves. Goodluck


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## Corysan (Jan 20, 2017)

The common misconception about union apprenticeships is that it is like any other job opening. You have a good resume and experience, and darn it you did well on the interview. They should hire you right away, right? After all they had interviews for a job opening didn't they? 

Not so fast. First, an apprenticeship interview is held in case there are openings, not because they already exist.
Second, the interview process is not just looking for a warm body to fill a spot. Every one interviewing you has something at stake. The union needs to uphold a certain standard of quality and productivity, despite what many people think. The contractors certainly have a skin in the game. Labor is their single most expensive investment, and it has to have a return. Even the State or Province is in it to win it. If applicants fail, they cannot justify the funding allocations, and they do care about building a skilled workforce. All three entities are not just looking for another push button jockey or grocery clerk. They are looking for leaders and responsible self-starters. You will be responsible for your safety and the safety of others, expensive equipment and vehicles, you productive time, the customers money, peoples reputations, and on and on.

Also, since you are being interviewed by a committee of mostly tradespeople, you need to look at it as more of a peer review than a job interview. these people know what it takes to succeed in their profession and you don't- yet. How they rate you may be a complete mystery to you. They are anything but your typical HR Generalist.

Lastly, I need to reiterate that the interviews take place in the expectation of openings. Since openings don't happen often enough, the list grows quickly for these coveted jobs. 
The one hundred thirty before you may have been on the list for years- no kidding. They may have also worked their butts off trying to get in. Many will have spent a lot of money on pertinent classes, some may have taken pay cuts and gotten low paying construction jobs for experience to get in.

So in the end, be patient. I had to wait a year and a half, take classes, work my way into a skilled trades job doing something else and visit the union hall often so they would recognize me better and realize I meant to do well, not just claim space on the out of work list. By the way, it took a year and a half during a boom time when our small local of approximately 200 put on at least ten apprentices a year for several years in a row. It took me longer than some, sure. But I have a friend that took five years during the same era.

Good luck.


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

Welcome to the forum.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Welcome aboard!


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Corysan said:


> The common misconception about union apprenticeships is that it is like any other job opening. You have a good resume and experience, and darn it you did well on the interview. They should hire you right away, right? After all they had interviews for a job opening didn't they?
> 
> 
> Good luck.


 
You get interviewed by our local you get a letter of acceptance or rejection for that year. If you get a letter of acceptance you go to work. We always need and want apprentices. If you get a letter of rejection you can reapply for the following year and can if you want take a job as a "R" worker.


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## Corysan (Jan 20, 2017)

> You get interviewed by our local you get a letter of acceptance or rejection for that year. If you get a letter of acceptance you go to work. We always need and want apprentices. If you get a letter of rejection you can reapply for the following year and can if you want take a job as a "R" worker.


Just curious what an "R" worker is? Construction Electrician, Construction Wireman, Unindentured Apprentice? Can you solicit your own work in your local? I've never heard an "R" worker before. Not that I get out of my home local much,though.


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## Aquinonez73 (Jan 31, 2017)

Thank you gentleman for the welcome. They say it can be busy local, so I really hope I get on.


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## cabletie (Feb 12, 2011)

R worker would be residential. Our local called it the B program. Not many locals had them here in NJ. I think ours was the only one until the CE/CW program came around. Our local doesn't have the heavy industry like the rest of the state. 

Although they do take in A apprentices with no other experience, most of ours start in the CE/CW program, then change over.


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## Corysan (Jan 20, 2017)

The contractors in our local can hire whoever they want as a residential apprentice. But an apprentice he is for two years and tops out as a journeyman residential wireman. I assume that is the same kind of situation. 

We have one contractor who is notorious for abusing that opportunity. He sneaks them into commercial work for lower wage labor. When they take the journeyman's exam after five years, he lays them off. 

We don't have carloads of work usually, at least since '04 or so. We also don't have the resources to interview as needed. Hence the annual interview to create a pool of qualified people for the occasional opening. 

We had "unindentured" apprentices a.k.a. helpers. Not sure if that is still the case since CE/CW. The helper program was abused as well.


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