ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Hot to become an electrician

salewit

Congratulations on your choice to become an electrician. I'm now 50 years old and I love the trade more than ever.
I have learned so much from this website.
Follow the information on the message board and you will do fine.

Frank

Since you are in California you won't have an AHJ to deal with for the license when the time comes. If/when Ca gets their state license program up and running for real you will have to take a state exam. For the experience, pick up your classified ads and look for contractors hiring helpers. With the IBEW apprenticeship being unavailable to you now this is the fastest way to get the experience. You will start out with a lot of grunt work, toting conduit, cutting and threading etc. but any good journeyman will be happy to help you learn conduit bending and other areas of the work if you show an eagerness to learn. Class at your local CC to go along with it in electrical theory, AC and DC circuits will help you with the book end. Good luck and welcome to the trade. I know it's been good to me. Above all, work safely.

Salwit,
Since you are from Oakland I have a question. Have you tried at more than one local? There are allot of locals within close proximity in that area. All with very high wage scales. (Locals 6 and 617 across the bay from you have JW scales of more that $42.00 per hour on the check + $11 in benefits) Just because one isn't taking applications doesn't mean they all are not. I understand the Bay area is slow right now and it may be tough to get in the apprenticeship. But that is going to go for the non-union sector as well. The unions are strong up there and when times are good have plenty of work. In 2000 -2001 they couldn't get enough electricians up there. Their was an unbelievable boom up there until the Dot Bombs exploded! Hopefully the economy swings back and you can get in. Good luck,
Nick

>Since you are from Oakland I have a
>question. Have you tried at more than one >local?

Thanks everyone for the advice. I really appreciate it. I've checked with the locals in San Francisco and San Jose. Both *will* be accepting applications at the next quarter (April). The problem is that as I understand it, I will need to work days and do classroom at night in those areas. SF is ok I guess. Not thrilled to death to be commuting there day and night for the next five years. San Jose is 2 hours travel time a day. That would definitely be tough. But I will most likely apply at SF in April.

Thanks again.
Sam

Keep trying, Sam...It's a good trade to get into; you can make a good living when the work's there... the good thing about a union apprenticeship is when you get your ticket, you can travel to any local that has work and start there at journeyman wage- no starting off low and working your way up the ladder again and again...
Of course, I am a little biased. I'm a 23 year veteran out of local 35 IBEW in Hartford, Ct.

Good Luck!

..I don't know about other states, but, here in N.J., you need 60 months(5yrs) consecutive time working for a licenced contractor...then you may sit for the test..I took a "prep" course to get me on track..it was well worth the $550.00, the state also gives allowances for training in an accredited school/adult or vocational classes..and may diminish the required time spent in the field....Good Luck, Man,..it's a great field, and you NEVER stop learning!!!!
AR

hello and welcome salewit, i hope you don't mind me picking this out of your thread here...

perhaps most here would voice issue of what it used to bevs. what it is these days, but the end result is still skilled labor

insourcing here hasn't driven us completely off the radar screen either

best of luck to you and your endevor to join the flock


~S~

Don't forget Local 234 Castroville,Local 595 Dublin, Local 302 Martinez, Local 684 Modesto,
Local 617 San Mateo,Local 551 Santa Rosa, and Local 180 Vallejo. Like I said, allot of locals in a relatively small area up there!

Sorry to bring this topic back to life, but it appears that all of the great suggestions here are just turning into dead-ends. Probably because of the SF Bay's bad economy at the moment. I've tried all the local IBEW's. The one or two that are taking applications (in April) are telling me the wait is a *minimum* of one year. I checked the IEC which isn't taking any applications.

It looks like the only avenue left would be for me to contact local electricians directly. Can you guys give me a little detail on just what it is I ask for? Inotherwords, I will send my resume and a letter. In the letter do I say that I want to work as an apprentice or do I not mention that? How does my work get credited towards certification? Then do I also need to enroll in classes at the same time?

Also, from what I can tell, California has no certification program (looks like they're working on it). It looks like all I have to do to be a licensed electrician is to be licensed with the Contractors State License Board. Can this be right?

Thanks again for all the help.


[This message has been edited by salewit (edited 01-15-2004).]

Hi salewit.

I hear you when you say the applications are few and far between.

Have you tried the following site for more information?? (National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee.)

http://www.njatc.org/

or the following (IBEW and the NECA http://www.ibew.org/organizing/construction.htm

When I was trying to get my son into the trade I told him that perseverence was important. They want to see someone who is that interested that they will keep calling in person and by phone. He was told not to bother, they would call him but he kept it up and in a month he had his apprenticeship started.

From what I hear, electricians are in demand throughout the States and Canada. The lack of skilled trades is creating opportunities for Canadians to work (legally) in the states. I know these are journeymen and formen but it stands to reason apprentices are needed as well. ( Coffee, gophers, and on and on as well as learn the trade)

I am an IBEW member and can only say good things about the organisation. There are others that believe a "union" is a bad thing.

Like life, there are good and bad everything.

If you do get to work with an electrical contractor in a non-electrician capacity, you may be able to get that company to sponser you down the road. But, be honest..tell them, if they ask, that you are going to be making application for an apprenticeship at the first opportunity.

Keep up and persevere.

Doug...et al

[This message has been edited by DGT (edited 01-15-2004).]