Becoming an electrician

[Night Elf]

We're thinking of jobs for ds and he said he might be interested in being an electrician. I found a technical school that has a program that is 18 credit hours for a certificate of completion. Then he is supposed to get a job to get field experience. So does he need to know anything going into such a program? I always think people who take these courses have some knowledge of the job and that is why they want to get a certificate/degree/diploma. Do you think they teach as if everyone was a total beginner and knew NOTHING about electrics?

 

Ds took a computer class in college and didn't make it through the first class. They were told to start their computers and download some type of software and he had no idea where to find it or what to do. He left the class all upset. That was the day he quit college altogether. He's got that negative baggage and thinking about school makes him scared.

[jen3kids]

It might be a way to get a start and then hired into an apprenticeship program.   

 

Ods is in an HVAC apprenticeship program at the local cc and it is 100% for beginners with no previous knowledge.  A friend has a son in the same cc's Electrician apprenticeship program.  Both programs hold the classes 2 evenings/week and work 40+ hours/week with a company that has an agreement with the CC to give hours and to pay a specific wage.  

 

 

[amyx4]

The licensing to work in the electrical trafe is set by each state.

In my state there are well regarded places to go to school for the “academic†portion of your license. Enabling your son to pass the state exam.

However the are a few schools in my area that I would discourage your son from enrolling in. Mostly because they are very overpriced for what they offer

You may need to find someone in your area to answer specific questions.

[PrincessMommy]

My BIL is an electrician... but it's been over 30yrs since he got his certification.  I'm sure it's changed since then. 

 

I will say that he has only been laid off once and that was at least 25yrs ago.  Even during the worst of the 2008 crash he was working 6 days a week.    We do live in the DC metro area, so that helps, but I knew people in high tech who were laid off even in this area.  

 

There is a lot of crawling around in dusty, webby, spidery places, crawl spaces, unfinished attics,  working in cold unheated new buildings, etc. etc.   Just so he knows.

 

Good luck.  I think it's great if he wants to do this.  

[Garga]

I’d contact the school and ask them.

[Crimson Wife]

Check with your Regional Occupational Program for apprenticeships. What you don't want is some shady for-profit trade school that will charge tons of money for a certificate and not actually help him find a job.

[eagleynne]

You should look into an apprenticeship run by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. They don't expect any background, provide all the needed training, and pay a good wage while you are learning. There is an entrance test, but there are test prep books for it available.

 

ETA: Correct union name

Edited January 11, 2018 by eagleynne

[Caroline]

There is a version of the HOPE scholarship for technical school in Georgia. I think they are HOPE grants? Not the answer to your question, but I thought you might like the information.

[jen3kids]

You can also look into Mike Rowe's website for scholarships and programs.

 

[Bluegoat]

I think this differs in different areas, so you will have to look into it and call the school.  But here, they get students who are right out of high school as well as ones who have done some, or even a lot, of electrical work.  

 

Even off they do take students with no experience, it might be worth taking some time to get some before paying for training - he might not like the work.

[Farrar]

My younger brother is finishing up getting his commercial electrician's license. It has involved getting a degree as part of the process, but like the program you mention, he started out paying for the classes - but just a semester's worth, I think, was accepted from there into an apprenticeship, the company has paid for all his classes. It has been a really great experience for him overall. The classes are really hard work sometimes - he has to genuinely do a lot of math as part of it. But for context, he's smart, but not had a great history as a student, and this has not been overwhelming for him. After the first bit, he has made decent money while getting his license - there are all these levels. He can now work alone and take jobs on his own. At the end, he'll be able to oversee people.

 

He went in knowing a tiny bit, but not much. I feel like he was at snap circuits level, basically, if that makes sense. He's always been handier than me, so he probably knew more than I do, but I can wire a light up, and I think he knew about that much. I think they really start from scratch. It's different from computer programming for sure.

 

It has been a really good career path for him (after a lot of fits and starts and following bands around and that sort of thing). He's in such a great place now. It was not a short path though. To finish the whole thing has taken several years.

[frogger]

Oops, I liked a lot of people's stuff before realizing this zombie thread was 3 years old.