ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area California's Certification Nightmare

Just got it today.... A joke in the mail.

Another LATE notice of impending/past deadlines, this one from the CSLB...
http://www.cslb.ca.gov/forms/clcsum2006.pdf
(See last page)

For those not in the know... The often postponed Certification Program in California has bee riddled with problems from day one. One of the main problems was getting people to comply once they wrote the law over for the second or was it the forth time~ The main reason for this was noy many knew about, or much about, or when, or how. FYI, the first and only official notice was sent out after the deadline for continuing to work in Commercial....

Which makes this one in the news letter seem funnier, at least to the people who did thier homework. For the people who didn't, they have to go back to school, at cost if thier employers wont pick up the tab.


Take careful note of the numbers there! There are not enough schools for them all. 33 schools for 30 - 40,000 people, and the schools only take about 100+ each! Thats 3300! (Hundred)What do the other 25 - 35,000 (THOUSANDS) of people do?~

Well the article missed one important exception for the people who are not certified to be able to keep working.

If you live more than 70 miles from an approved school - you can put off the test seemingly forever. The state did not put a timeframe on this exemption.

If you attempt to enroll in an approved school and the classes are full. You have until the next open enrollment to start going to school. You must take your test upon completion of the training or before.

Another item I've been meaning to post. It is about the continuing education.

The state has about 30 schools that are approved to give electrical training to continue working. These same schools are automatically approved to to provide continuing education. The subject matter has to be within the state approved curriculum for apprentice programs.

state approved curriculum.... They used to have them posted at the DAS site for while... Wasn't impressed. I realize they were "Curriculam" not course content, but seemed ambitious on certain content, and lacked something I cant quite put my finger on.... Practicality?

So, any word on when the many thousands of us have the opprotunity to enroll in this continuing edjucation for our required hours?

As for political/legal reasons*, although there may be one here, I would have to drive (about 35 miles/1.5 hours at times) out of town to attend. I'll need to plan that time accordingly, ya know, books on tape or something for the arguous commute....

*Apparently the DAS won't allow 2 programs in the same geographical location.... (See 3075 of the Labor Code) I can only see the need for another here if I have my eyes open.

Well the opportunity to enroll is now.

Stuff like journeyman upgrade classes and similarly titled classes on the proper subject matter are good to go.

The state only made those schools as approved providers. It did not mandate them to offer courses. Some of the approved schools already offer continuing ed. classes.

Books on tape and internet courses have their place. If you want that type of course then you must make your voice heard. It will be a long time before the state gets back to working on the continuing ed. subject and then there is no guarrantee they will allow this type of course unless there is a demand for it.

the people running this stuff in san francisco are so confused themselves. my school was approved last year, and for some reason this year it expired. i couldnt get an answer from them about what happened. i have sent in my $25 and completed trainee registration. they rejected my application and cashed my check. i called them and asked them why my check was cashed if my app. wasn't approved. lady said it just the way it works and i couldnt get a positive answer. now, i have to send them a letter to get a refund. that lady got me so pissed off, and i had to hang up on her.

they have a local junior college that is on the approved list. i called about the program and all they offer is electrical theory. the guy i was talking to even said they arent geared for electrician training, just electricial understanding and basic of electrical.

so much B.S.!!!

[This message has been edited by kojunho (edited 07-21-2006).]

Sure, 49,000 have been approved to take the Journeyman's test. That means that they should not need to go to school to pass.
The remaining 20,000? Well, they have plans to do just what they've done in the past.....not a stinkin' thing. They are working illegally right now, and will to continue to do so.

For the trainee schooling? The schools are not full. Quite to the contrary. ABC sent out a request to members last November to get more instructors so they could gear up for the expected onslaught of trainees. Guess what?? No onslaught!! Lotsa apply and No-Shows though.

Something else that isn't included in the data is the number of "journeymen" that sent in their applications at the last minute, (maybe under the threat of losing their jobs), were approved, and haven't felt the need to study or take the exam.....More No-Shows.
Who knows? Maybe their butt dragging will cause more postponements.

Anyone that is working as an electrician right now is required to be registered one way or the other. I haven't even heard of a single case of anyone having problems because they didn't follow the law. It's all been "voluntary participation". My brother, an IBEW member, says the hall will not send them to call outs if they don't comply.
Other than this type of voluntary action (Our non-union shop is 100% compliant. Even the office people and the owner of the company are certified), there is no reason to worry if you aren't certified.

The reason???

No Enforcement
Look in your newspaper ads. They still contain many job openings for "J-men, Foremen, 2-3 yrs experience" These guys are illegal, and flaunting it. Easy pickins for any kind of enforcement, but there is none.

And the circus just continues......

The closest one to here (Bakersfield) is Fresno at 104 miles... I scheduled to take the test on the 17th, I get there, and all the computers are torn apart They were upgrading computers since Prometric took over things from Experior... They said someone should've called, but no one did At least the company ate the gas, (I somehow burned most of a 30 gallon tank there and back!)

Rescheduled for 8/28...

Randy, all those signs that say "99" on the ride up there mark the highway number, not the speed limit

Driving a fully loaded service van... Ah, I could see it. 208 R/T


Look into the "Failure" rate... As they can drag out the testing, and RE-testing, some may need to go back to school just to make the attempt at the test again.

As for the un-certified, they can still do resi for the rest of the year....

As for the continuing edU... I do, and I DONT understand why schools and programs are being limited to only one per geographical location? Living in a large city with a defininate need, and a central location for people getting off, or during work to go cover thier requirements without our rediculous highway traffic. An on-line thing would, and could be developed. I know someone who does (teaches) on-line course work. (Remote learning is its proper name, and can work well. IMO)

Got the Summer 2006 "CLC" Newsletter on Friday.

Did anyone see the Article regarding _ALL_ Roofing Contractors with Active Licenses (C-39) - regardless if they have Employees or not, to have Workers' Compensation Coverage?

Must be due to the excessive use of Per Diem "Day Labor" Personnel (usually found at the Parking Lots of the "Orange Box" stores); which, if injured on the job of a Contractor filed as "Exemption from Workers’ Compensation" (no employees), has no coverage and therefore must pay for all the medical stuff solely, or through State or Federally funded programs (such as "Medi-Cal").

Either that, or "Arnie" (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has come up with one more way to screw with the Workers' Comp. system.
(most political thing I have ever posted!).

In case some of the ECN Members are unaware of the California Work Comp. "Fiasco", let me just say this:
It was really crazy back in 2001, but now, it's a Full-Blown Circus!

On another subject, I was browsing through the "License Revocations" lists, and saw the name of a joker I had worked with in the past (I stayed 2 weeks). This guy was a real piece of work!
There's about 10 sections violated - and one of them is in the "Felony" category!
Must have relocated up North since I worked there. The License Number is still the same.

Scott35