It's going to be really tough over the next few years to find "Certified" guys in our area for a few reasons. Many aren't, some won't, and some can't, or don't think they can get certified, and I still find guys who don't even know that they should be already.
On top of that, many during the peroid of time between '99~06 when and got thier C-10 license in an act of self-preservation due to the law being passed, then post-poned and changed constantly during that time. many of those people are now out on thier own, and looking for employees... So you have a huge number of small independant shops out there who want to grow - but have no one to grow with...
Then there is the broader reason that hits the very nature of the law - control over entry to the trade itself. (California did not require formal apprenticeship until only roughly two years ago) Sure formal apprenticeship is great so long as there are enough apprentices to go around - and there just isn't! And reasons for that are clear, there just are not enough of the programs to go around, and too archaic to navigate admittance that you need "know some" to have someone "Walk-you-in" to figure out the process, and still those programs turn away thousands. Then the merit programs are are relegated to certain geographical areas. (By DAS decree unless they feel there is a need, and they have little contact with the industry at all! And a one sided contact if that...) They are are also not recruiting or producing nearly as many apprentices to fill the merit void. Nor are they able to serve the vast number of independent shops out there who are turning to "Electrician Trainees". (Who need to be educated in an approved program - in another geopraphical area...)
The ET program does have some benefit for guys going into shop looking to get a foot in the door, as there is far less of a commitment, and they wont be dispatched to some other shop in deep space. But all of thier classes are in another geographical area - so they still have to drive somewhere else for that, and often pay for the classes themselves. If they are going to do that - they go into City College, study programming, work at a coffee shop and skip the commute... Or go into any other trade, 'cause you don't need to go through all of this tripe to become a carpenter or plumber.
Anyway, I wish you luck - because I am in roughly the same boat. Have work, and nobody to put on it.
