# Looking to get into the trade



## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Welcome aboard @Jtaylor44t!

I have told many guys to do this over the years and many have got a job as a friday, driver, or a warehouse position and did get in to an apprenticeship through having a foot in the door. 

One kid actually got an office job and is still at it 18 years later.


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## Jtaylor44t (Oct 15, 2017)

What is a "friday"? And also is that how most electricians start? In a warehouse or driving? I didnt know that was apart of the trade. I am looking to learn the trade and become a journeyman eventually not work in a warehouse or drive a truck. I was looking for advice on how to approach the owner of an electrical company. There are a ton of private family owned places by me. Im hoping if I go to a dozen or two one will let me become an apprentice.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Jtaylor44t said:


> What is a "friday"? And also is that how most electricians start? In a warehouse or driving? I didnt know that was apart of the trade. I am looking to learn the trade and become a journeyman eventually not work in a warehouse or drive a truck. I was looking for advice on how to approach the owner of an electrical company. There are a ton of private family owned places by me. Im hoping if I go to a dozen or two one will let me become an apprentice.


A 'friday' is like a personal assistant that does whatever chore the boss needs done.

Union shops just don't hire apprentices off the street the local union hall does that.

But a large union contractor has some jobs that aren't union jobs in house.

It's getting your name known that helps you get into the apprentice program.

Non union contractors can hire off the street and while they may not have apprentice jobs open they may have other entry level positions open.

You never know until you try.


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## Jtaylor44t (Oct 15, 2017)

Ok I see what you are saying. Yeah I probably wouldnt want to go union right away. Everyones gotta start somewhere though. My wife and I have a 2 month old son so now isnt the best time for me to change my plan up. Im close to my degree. Ive thankfully been able to go this far with no debt. But in order to finish I would have to take out a loan for a lot of money. All for a job that probably wont be there when I graduate. A lot of my family are tradesmen and they love it. I decided thats the route im gonna go. I am just nervous about approaching these owners. But I hope they will see I am serious and need someone to give me a chance. How did you get into the trade?


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## active1 (Dec 29, 2009)

For a union apprenticeship you want to your local IBEW hall organizer or JATC (training center) for information. It's a long process. The next group of apprentices would probably start school fall 2018. There may be 10X applicants vs spaces available. It's not necessarily easy to get in. Really depends on the local market.

For non-union don't ask for an apprenticeship. Ask for a job doing anything to help. Clean the shop, deliver material, expedite material, manual labor like hand digging, or electrician helper. It's too much to ask an employer IMO to put an unknown person with no background in an apprenticeship. It also depends on your state. Some require electrician helpers to be in a recognized apprenticeship. Figure for the states that don't push the apprenticeship many non-union contractors don't belong to organizations that have apprenticeships for nonunion like ABC. To say it again they are not set up to send workers to an apprenticeship. To go that route you would want to stick with the biggest nonunion contractors as they tend to have apprentice programs. Or you could work it backwards. By contacting a nonunion apprenticeship like ABC and asking what employers send people there.

Don't rule out paying for it yourself. There are community colleges and fast track trade schools.


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## Jtaylor44t (Oct 15, 2017)

Awesome thats a great idea. I will give it my best shot. If I already have went through a program am I more likely to get an apprenticeship? Id imagine so.


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## Bgmatt (Oct 7, 2017)

For what it's worth jtaylor44t, I'm going to my local community college and my program director/advisor has a network of contractors that he places students with after we get the basic courses finished. They work around our class schedule, and in return we already have some company loyalty built up by the time we graduate. A lot of states require tech schools to keep stats on how many graduates find work within a year of finishing, so they do their best to set you up.


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