ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area California certification - Day One.

You're right. The prices I got were for ET, which is not the same as continuing ed, and neither is the same as apprentice.

If it sounds like I'm getting confused as to how this all is supposed to work, it's because I am.

You are NOT ALONE......

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm gonna wait awhile for my CEUs.
The places that they are available presently have politics based agendas and are too busy trying to one-up-the-other-guy for my liking.
Maybe the CEUs will be offered in colleges, like the app education was (when finally accredited).
After all it's SUPPOSED to be about education, isn't it?

LK's right. We really need an big organization of the "legit little guys" to get this thing on track. It's out of control.

e57 suggested earlier that maybe I was enraged. I'm not. Outraged, maybe. Disappointed, Disenchanted, Disgusted, absolutely.
At one time I thought this would be a great idea.....That an educated workforce would raise quality and safety, both for us and the consumer.
All it did was enable the hacks to hack, and the day laborer to do electrical work while leaving the small legit guys holding the bag.

BTW, I did hear rumor of a contractor being fined $32K on a public works project for employing noncertified electricians.

Welcome to you Steve. Another OC local

[This message has been edited by electure (edited 01-11-2007).]

I'll speak for myself I guess now... I'm 'RAGED!


It's gonna come down to this.... Letter writing... Gotta get out all the ill will and sent it to Sacremento. Squeaky wheels so they say.... I'll even write one as Jack I.T. Box! (Just to get the computerized responce letter)

Find your rep's and let them have it... http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html http://gov.ca.gov/site/contact-governor

As stevecheyenne mentioned, it doesn't seem these people are accountable to anyone - maybe they should be....

"The places that they are available presently have politics based agendas and are too busy trying to one-up-the-other-guy for my liking."

I feel the same way, not looking to join the ABC, JATC/IBEW, or WECA. City College down the road would be great... And apparently cheaper if they offered anything.



[This message has been edited by e57 (edited 01-11-2007).]

Thanks for the welcome!

"City College down the road would be great... And apparently cheaper if they offered anything."

The last time I checked, the courses available at the community colleges were open to union members only.

Was I happy to learn that?

No, I was not.

[This message has been edited by stevecheyenne (edited 01-11-2007).]

I have noticed that both union and merit are operating thier own courses out of community and junior colleges. And likewise in one case a college (Foothill) operating its program out of a JATC...
http://www.dir.ca.gov/das/ListOfApprovedSchoolsDetail.html#101

Anyway.... I would PM this, but it goes the same for us all....

stevecheyenne, As a new member... (Welcome aboard BTW) We are in the 'orange zone' here on the "political" arena of discussions involving Union/Merit issues. Although it is nearly impossible to talk about this issue without talking about the politics, because it is steeped in it. But we do need to be carefull about not promoting or diminishing one over the other, even though as I can see through this thread in particular many of us are not affiliated with either politicaly.... We're just dealing in issues of the often 'tabboo' entities that we often try to avoid. For purposes of remaining cival, and to avoid chest beating.... Otherwise it turns into Beirut....

Yup - been there on other forums. No problem - I have no quarrel with the union.

The Community College District, on the other hand...

At the risk of pointing out the obvious, attending IAEI meetings and seminars will get you CEU credits. Some of them for free.

I note the IAEI chapter here is also listing seminars in areas besides electrical for ICC purposes. I wonder if these will be applicable to the CEU's required for electricians? I hope so; we all need to know something about the general building code, the fire code, the HVAC stuff.....

A little info here:

The state that requires all apprenticeship programs to be affiliated with a community college.

Here in OC, JATC operates with Rancho and ABC with Cerritos.

Electrical Trainee: A person taking classes in order to keep working without a certification card.

Lack of enforcement aside; the rules are you must have a cert. card or be enrolled in an approved training class in order to keep working. At least to be in compliance.