# Union Education



## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

Or brainwashing, rather. :jester:

Anyway, I was sitting here thinking. I don't know jack $hit about electrical. Seriously, considering the vast amount of knowledge there is to know about electricity, or building codes, I'm still blind, deaf, and dumb.

New Orlean's ABC school would be better off teaching just that, the alphabet so my faith in that organization has diminished, and even if it were to improve I doubt they continue education past what is relatively standard up to the 4th or 5th year.

Now my question is, does Union education ever really stop?

Say, if I spent a few years bending pipe and working commercial, and got tired of it, could I get more into controls, motor starts, things like that?

I've worked with quite a few older electricians that just express little more than boredom with the trade. Tired of bending pipe and pulling wire, and I could see why.

Someone shed some light on this for me, please.


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## Chris21 (Nov 25, 2009)

Frasbee said:


> Or brainwashing, rather. :jester:
> 
> Anyway, I was sitting here thinking. I don't know jack $hit about electrical. Seriously, considering the vast amount of knowledge there is to know about electricity, or building codes, I'm still blind, deaf, and dumb.
> 
> ...


I think that may really depend on your local. My local offers plenty of classes. High voltage splicing, transit, solar... ect.. Most of the stuff offered in these classes are stuff you probably wouldn't see on other "normal" jobs. 

So to answer your question union education never stops... if you don't want it to.


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## rlc3854 (Dec 30, 2007)

I've said this before, for the area you are currently living,if your not in the IBEW local 130 apprenticeship you need to be in the vocational tech school here. ABC will get you an approved apprenticeship certification if you can hang for the four years and the dummies that roll in and out. It will always be your contractor/forman that assigns your jobs, therefore you will be running conduit and pulling wire for a while yet. If you could get hired by a speciality control contractor things would change. Good luck, go take some PLC motor controll classes, look to get hired by Johnson controls or siemens controls.


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## miller_elex (Jan 25, 2008)

Frasbee, you can go as far as you want to, and you should!

Check the local community colleges for electrical trades courses, like PLC's, VFD's, Motor Controls, NEC, etc. Start taking those, take at least two classes a term. Summer typically doesn't have anything, except the apprentice classes, so plan on the Fall term. 

If you want to do controls, take the HVAC classes too. There are probably also some construction management classes, with estimating, construction law, and the like. If you can mix all those in, you'll be a bad ass. Good community colleges in the bigger cities all have this stuff. I found out that I can 'audit' a class I took ten years ago, for fifty bucks, so if I feel rusty, I can slip into class again. 

Classes are a great place to meet people in your field who give a sh1t about their career, and a high GPA sets you ahead when comparing a resume to another guy who has similar experience, but no schooling. Pro's go to school, I just read on the John nowadays, but that's good enough.


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## slickvic277 (Feb 5, 2009)

Frasbee said:


> Or brainwashing, rather. :jester:
> 
> Anyway, I was sitting here thinking. I don't know jack $hit about electrical. Seriously, considering the vast amount of knowledge there is to know about electricity, or building codes, I'm still blind, deaf, and dumb.
> 
> ...



There are times when it gets boring. I spent the last 2 years doing mostly office fit outs and new construction-office buildings. Talk about boring. But it pays the bills.

Anyway, Hang on to that ABC apprenticeship any education looks good on a resume. Buy some books on topics your interested in and try sending some resumes out to some different companies that do niche type work.

When it comes to school you'll only get out of it what you put into it. I went to the same Tech. School you did here in Philly and I took a couple classes on my own at the Bucks county community college.Then I had to go through the locals apprenticeship as well.
That advice Miller gave you was pretty good. If you get into the local's apprenticeship and apply yourself you'll come out of it with a good education in the field plus your other training and experience will make you all that more well rounded.

All that being said you have to be exposed to different types of work in the field to really apply the education. Does your local ABC require work reports? Do you have an apprentice director? Maybe it's time to work for another outfit or have the shop your with now move you to another job, if that's an option.

As for the union education. They offer Journeyman classes but there optional not required.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

Frasbee said:


> Or brainwashing, rather. :jester:
> 
> Anyway, I was sitting here thinking. I don't know jack $hit about electrical. Seriously, considering the vast amount of knowledge there is to know about electricity, or building codes, I'm still blind, deaf, and dumb.
> 
> ...


I have walked in your shoes but, the time is not that good to hope for a shot in a solid JATC program.

You are here on this forum because you have an above average intrest in educating yourself.
Take the advice from those that will encourage you to look into every opportunity to educate yourself in our trade. It is a lifetime of learning. Don't get discouraged just because you find yourself ahead of the pack in knowledge and ability at times. 
Keep slugging! Our trade is starving for electricians like you. :thumbsup:


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## s.kelly (Mar 20, 2009)

Our local has several journeyman level classes they teach each year. PLC, instrumentation etc. I think they are looking at adding some other topics as well. So here at least, even just thru the local education does not have to end. And as others mentioned earlier, there are community college classes, etc etc. And there is always just buying a book. No credit, but still knowledge.


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

I _have_ purchased a few basic electrical books when I first got started a few years ago, but knowing me, I have trouble really retaining, and at times, comprehending anything I can't put my hands on.

And also, like anything, sometimes the rules that apply in the book don't always apply in the real world. I suppose that goes for schooling as well, but I think my point is made. I was trouble shooting some starters for condensing units with an electrician and was intrigued by the challenge. Unfortunately, that kind of work, for me, does not come around frequently.

I think I'm just looking for a bit of reassurance that I won't end up like those old guys bored out of their minds from bending pipe. Even if I'm not always moving "up", moving sideways can be good too. I just never want to feel stuck.


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## s.kelly (Mar 20, 2009)

With that attitude, there is no need to worry. Keep an eye out for ways to continue your education, and you will find it. 

And I know, the books can be tough by themselves and only show a piece of the puzzle. I think reading sometimes best shows you the language you need to speak to ask the right questions when the opportunity comes up. I also think that reading will also show you the questions you need to ask.


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## Brother Noah1 (Mar 23, 2010)

Frasbee I have traveled the country for over 20 years but where ever I am working I have always been able to take classes through what ever local I am working out of. The last 3 years I have had the oportunity to get over 400 class hours between California and Washington state locals. All but a few have been paid for by the local I was working in. I have seen unlimited oportunities to those that apply theirself. I wish you luck in your thirst for knowledge.


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## Toronto Sparky (Apr 12, 2009)

As they say.. "You learn something new everyday" (not sure who "they" are)
In the trades this is even more important.

In our trade everything changes so rapidly you could get left out in the cold and appear not to have been trained at all. 

As for Union or non-union , learning is something that must continue forever regardless.

The Union just makes it easier to access what you want to learn.. 

Toronto's local offers many courses to its members.. 

http://www.ibew353.org/education/2010cal.pdf


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## Brother Noah1 (Mar 23, 2010)

Toronto Sparky said:


> As they say.. "You learn something new everyday" (not sure who "they" are)
> In the trades this is even more important.
> 
> In our trade everything changes so rapidly you could get left out in the cold and appear not to have been trained at all.
> ...


 Good post I think will help many.Is Joe Fashion still the BM there? I signed your book(just to claim as a tax write off) years ago and was treated well by all in your local.


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## Grimlock (Aug 4, 2009)

Why not just order some books on the topics you are interested in and be disiplined in reading them. Then you don't have to deal with the whole class schedule.


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

Education in general, never stops, regardless of what you are doing. In the electricial field you have to have a thirst to learn a little more each day; Otherwise it can get boring just like any job. The vast majority of the electricians I have met have that thirst and are proud of what they do for a living. When that thirst to learn leaves you start to die.


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## running dummy (Mar 19, 2009)

I am in the end of my 5 year apprenticeship with the JATC and my experiance is that you learn a little about damn near everything. Motor control, PLCs, fire alarm, basic calculations and a bunch of other stuff. If you want to become a master at one of those topics you have to take it upon yourself to learn it either on the job or at a specific trade school. There just isnt enough time or resources for the JATC to make every student a master in every topic. The junior college in my area offers specifc classes about almost everything I have listed and I plan on taking a handfull of those even though my apprenticeship "covered" them.


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