I Have been in the trade for 14 years and have been a foreman for 3. Yesterday I was given a brand new man and to be honest I dont know what to do with him.....I know someone showed me the basics 14 years ago, but I simply cant remember my first 2 months, productivity is FALLING!!
first day apprentice-what to do with them?
- Thread starter ktulu5150
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
I would team him up with the best worker that you have. Let him tag along and observe and perform simple tasks until you can assess his skill level. Some first day guys that I have worked with were so mechanically unskilled I was afraid to let them use any power tools.
LawnGuyLandSparky
Senior Member
Send him out for a bucket of amps...
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
Show them where the restrooms are so they don't follow you into one.
Mine are usually gophers for the first few weeks until they learn parts, where and how they are used.
Even new journeman can cut your production until you are comfortable with their skills.
Mine are usually gophers for the first few weeks until they learn parts, where and how they are used.
Even new journeman can cut your production until you are comfortable with their skills.
barbeer
Senior Member
- Location
- Pinellas County, FL
Make them take a 40# demo hammer and cut trench recesses into poured concrete walls large enough for 3/4 to fit in flush in like I did!
If they come back tomorrow you know you have a keeper.
If they come back tomorrow you know you have a keeper.
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
send him out for donuts.
LawnGuyLandSparky
Senior Member
Better start him on pool wiring right away, so in 5 years at least someone will have a grasp on it!
In a typical conversation explain how most guys will spend hours, time and energy trying to get out of the work that takes 10 mins to do. Then tell him don't be like them we know who those guys are and they don't make the money that other guys do.
Not sure what your doing but I would have them follow a lead mechanic around, or clean up the area in the job to learn the ropes.
Not sure what your doing but I would have them follow a lead mechanic around, or clean up the area in the job to learn the ropes.
lowryder88h
Senior Member
- Location
- Massachusetts
first day
first day
I remember my first day very vividly, Its June 1965, my boss dives me to the factory re-hab job, introduces me to the journeyman I'd br working with, an old greyed hairde gut wi a Parodi cigar hanging out of his mouth. When my boss let, the guy says to me the first thing you have to learn to use sare on the other side of the machine he was wiring, guess what it was???
You give up???
It was a dust pan & broom. As you can clearly see the first day can be a very vital day in the future of an apprentice. just my 2 cents.
Thank you very much:grin: :grin:
first day
I remember my first day very vividly, Its June 1965, my boss dives me to the factory re-hab job, introduces me to the journeyman I'd br working with, an old greyed hairde gut wi a Parodi cigar hanging out of his mouth. When my boss let, the guy says to me the first thing you have to learn to use sare on the other side of the machine he was wiring, guess what it was???
You give up???
It was a dust pan & broom. As you can clearly see the first day can be a very vital day in the future of an apprentice. just my 2 cents.
Thank you very much:grin: :grin:
tmyers@jatc26.org
Member
The best thing to do with a really green apprentice is to set him up as material gopher for the best mechanic you have. This way he learns what everything is called, Then once he is used to the material start him working with that mechanic and doing the grunt work for him ( drilling, carrying, clean up) soon enough he will start to pick up the knowledge he needs to be a great apprentice, then you can let him start doing stuff under a mechanics supervision.
remember, we were all green once.
Thomas
remember, we were all green once.
Thomas
- Location
- Lockport, IL
- Occupation
- Semi-Retired Electrical Engineer
This same question could be asked with regard to a brand-new-fresh-out-of-college-engineer, starting on his or her first day of work. I think the single most important message that needs to be sent is that that person?s success, both as an engineer (or in your case, as an electrician) and as an employee is important, very important, both to the company and to you personally. You want that person to succeed; you need that person to succeed; your company needs that person to succeed.
How do you send such a message? First of all by recognizing that the learning process is going to cost you some amount of productivity. You must not, Not, NOT give the impression that you regret that loss of productivity, and that it will continue to be a waste of the company?s money until this new person ?gets it.? Set aside time to teach, to show, to explain, and to invite questions. Do not be frustrated if the person asks the same question or makes the same mistake more than once. Don?t wait until the person gets the courage to ask a ?stupid question.? Rather, stop by from time to time and say ?how?s it going,? or ?do you have any questions,? or ?can I help you with anything.?
What do you gain, as recompense for this investment in ?lost productivity?? You gain at least two things. One is that the new employee will learn faster, and become fully productive sooner, if he or she is not burdened with the concern that you don?t think they are doing well. Another is that the new employee will like working with you, and will not spend half their work day wondering if they could get a better job somewhere else.
One more thing. Sometimes it helps the learning process to let a person make a mistake, and to realize on their own that it was a mistake. There are, of course, limits to this concept. You can?t let them accidentally touch a live wire, just so they learn what live wires feel like. But you can on occasion let them make an error that does not place anyone?s immediate safety at risk. For example, if they are about to bend a conduit in a way that is going to render it unusable, instead of stopping them, let them do it wrong. Let them break it. Let them see it break, and understand that it was their incorrect use of a tool that caused it to break. Ten dollars worth of wasted materials might be worth many, many times that value in terms of impressing upon the new person why you do things the way you do things.
How do you send such a message? First of all by recognizing that the learning process is going to cost you some amount of productivity. You must not, Not, NOT give the impression that you regret that loss of productivity, and that it will continue to be a waste of the company?s money until this new person ?gets it.? Set aside time to teach, to show, to explain, and to invite questions. Do not be frustrated if the person asks the same question or makes the same mistake more than once. Don?t wait until the person gets the courage to ask a ?stupid question.? Rather, stop by from time to time and say ?how?s it going,? or ?do you have any questions,? or ?can I help you with anything.?
What do you gain, as recompense for this investment in ?lost productivity?? You gain at least two things. One is that the new employee will learn faster, and become fully productive sooner, if he or she is not burdened with the concern that you don?t think they are doing well. Another is that the new employee will like working with you, and will not spend half their work day wondering if they could get a better job somewhere else.
One more thing. Sometimes it helps the learning process to let a person make a mistake, and to realize on their own that it was a mistake. There are, of course, limits to this concept. You can?t let them accidentally touch a live wire, just so they learn what live wires feel like. But you can on occasion let them make an error that does not place anyone?s immediate safety at risk. For example, if they are about to bend a conduit in a way that is going to render it unusable, instead of stopping them, let them do it wrong. Let them break it. Let them see it break, and understand that it was their incorrect use of a tool that caused it to break. Ten dollars worth of wasted materials might be worth many, many times that value in terms of impressing upon the new person why you do things the way you do things.
JohnConnolly
Senior Member
- Location
- Phoenix AZ
I was fortunate. My very first day I was dropped off at a newly wired tract house that had just been painted.
My boss gave me a wobbly screwdriver, a pair if strippers and a 10 minute tutorial on trimming out switches and outlets and hanging fixtures.
I worked alone and actually thought about what I was doing and how the system went together.
The next day I worked with a guy roughing in the houses. He showed me how and where to nail boxes, drill holes, fish romex down block walls and strip/staple the cable. After a few days he showed me how to make up the service.
Within a couple of months I was familiar with the entire residential electrical system including the specifice of MWBC's (opposite phases and TIGHT neutrals).
I was wiring tract houses by myself in about 4 months. THEN it started to get a little repetitive. I was soon out of the resi and on to the commercial end of things. Being able to start my career in such a way put me years ahead in my opinion. If a guy walks into a big commercial job it seems like he would just get overwhelmed.
My boss gave me a wobbly screwdriver, a pair if strippers and a 10 minute tutorial on trimming out switches and outlets and hanging fixtures.
I worked alone and actually thought about what I was doing and how the system went together.
The next day I worked with a guy roughing in the houses. He showed me how and where to nail boxes, drill holes, fish romex down block walls and strip/staple the cable. After a few days he showed me how to make up the service.
Within a couple of months I was familiar with the entire residential electrical system including the specifice of MWBC's (opposite phases and TIGHT neutrals).
I was wiring tract houses by myself in about 4 months. THEN it started to get a little repetitive. I was soon out of the resi and on to the commercial end of things. Being able to start my career in such a way put me years ahead in my opinion. If a guy walks into a big commercial job it seems like he would just get overwhelmed.
Q: What do you tell a helper with 2 black eyes?
A: Nothing you haven't told him twice already.
What to do w/a green helper ....that depends alot on the particular job you are doing..if it's a nuke facility ~ he gets to watch and clean up; if it's resi. ~ fetch material until he knows the parts, then he can start mounting boxes and drilling holes.
What kind of job are you guys on?
A: Nothing you haven't told him twice already.
What to do w/a green helper ....that depends alot on the particular job you are doing..if it's a nuke facility ~ he gets to watch and clean up; if it's resi. ~ fetch material until he knows the parts, then he can start mounting boxes and drilling holes.
What kind of job are you guys on?
blue spark
Senior Member
- Location
- MN
My first couple of weeks was to get familiar with the job trailer. Parts, bits, and pieces. Then I got a training lesson on trimming. I was lucky and my boss took the time to lay out what the end objective was and how to get there. I'm a pretty quick learner though. The three guys before me were let go after a couple of weeks.
Boss: "Grab me a 1" hicky"
Them: "Where do you want it?"
Boss: "See ya."
Boss: "Grab me a 2" nipple"
Them: "Sexual Harassment Sexual Harassment!!!!"
Boss: "See Ya"
Seriously though, patience can go a long way. Feeling out if a person has the knack for it is pretty easy in my opinion within a week. If they seem to have it together, then it's worth the extra effort to bring them beyond just clean-up and gopher-land.
Boss: "Grab me a 1" hicky"
Them: "Where do you want it?"
Boss: "See ya."
Boss: "Grab me a 2" nipple"
Them: "Sexual Harassment Sexual Harassment!!!!"
Boss: "See Ya"
Seriously though, patience can go a long way. Feeling out if a person has the knack for it is pretty easy in my opinion within a week. If they seem to have it together, then it's worth the extra effort to bring them beyond just clean-up and gopher-land.
mdshunk
Senior Member
- Location
- Right here.
I think my first two weeks I put together high-bays and put jack chain on strip lights. Prettty freaking boring. Luckily, I'm a singing fool, so I entertain myself.
I had a 28 year old green helper once fresh out of prison, (he went in at 17) he had a 28" waist, 56" chest, 23" biceps, bench pressed 500 + lbs, so I used him for my LOTO enforcer. I just parked him at the gear and told him no one comes into the room, never had a problem.:grin:
Of course, he was back in the big house in less than a year, institutionalized type people can't live in the real world
Roger
Of course, he was back in the big house in less than a year, institutionalized type people can't live in the real world
Roger
Well I am just floored by the real time responses from actual electricians and the like here at this site! I have searched for a year or so here for answers to SO many questions....yet never persisted enough to post a thread and register and what-not. Once again I am beside myself with (finally) a feeling that there are other men in this world who do what I do, have computers, Love the Trade and (cue the music){hey get that nutball off the stage!- ) soad rules!!!
) soad rules!!!
quogueelectric
Senior Member
- Location
- new york
remember
remember
remember
This apprentice is your future so teach him well as painfull as it might get or fire him if he doesnt get it.roger said:
cadpoint
Senior Member
- Location
- Durham, NC
All very good suggestions, OK at least the constructive ones, LOL…
Put some Band-aids in your wallet.
I do concur with putting a Green man with a Lead man or under a floor area Forman. Of course the commutation is key of: How, Who, What, Where, Why.
A good leader will either inspire the work out of the worker through their work ethic, style, presentation, over-view of: Safety first, No bad habits, no short cuts. A good worker will pick up on the trade. A smart worker will use your methods, or the mentors style, and grasp the desired output from your or theirs input. It will also be understood by your crew all that’s required, have them remind Junior of them to H,W,W,W,W.
Be sure to express overview thoughts out loud, along with the job pitch.
Wally be sure to overview H,W,W,W,W, With Vern, You know what I mean…
Gopher, sure : Daily overview, later turns into bi-weekly … excellent.
You’ll see or hear of it soon enough, if they don’t have it for this but have other strong suits, all of Us have our strong suits it can be taxing to grasp that at first, from the new man. I think we all just love some aspects of a job, and junior will get to experience that as well.
Site the Run, Get a Ladder… make sure he involved in material movements and Site safe work practices also.
I like to Overview job/Day, IE what’s required, How where going to do it, Explain, Example, Do. Review, Explaining the H,W,W,W,W, all alone the way … Explain the cause and effect of our applications. “ IT’ s Code” …
I’ve come home hoarse many a day. It is in most cases well worth the fact that one knows that Junior put up work that
no one else has to touch till they refit the building, and how important it is to be done right the first time to achieve this.
I teach them everything I know, I don’t want to go back over their work except for reviewing H,W,W,W,W …
Put some Band-aids in your wallet.
I do concur with putting a Green man with a Lead man or under a floor area Forman. Of course the commutation is key of: How, Who, What, Where, Why.
A good leader will either inspire the work out of the worker through their work ethic, style, presentation, over-view of: Safety first, No bad habits, no short cuts. A good worker will pick up on the trade. A smart worker will use your methods, or the mentors style, and grasp the desired output from your or theirs input. It will also be understood by your crew all that’s required, have them remind Junior of them to H,W,W,W,W.
Be sure to express overview thoughts out loud, along with the job pitch.
Wally be sure to overview H,W,W,W,W, With Vern, You know what I mean…
Gopher, sure : Daily overview, later turns into bi-weekly … excellent.
You’ll see or hear of it soon enough, if they don’t have it for this but have other strong suits, all of Us have our strong suits it can be taxing to grasp that at first, from the new man. I think we all just love some aspects of a job, and junior will get to experience that as well.
Site the Run, Get a Ladder… make sure he involved in material movements and Site safe work practices also.
I like to Overview job/Day, IE what’s required, How where going to do it, Explain, Example, Do. Review, Explaining the H,W,W,W,W, all alone the way … Explain the cause and effect of our applications. “ IT’ s Code” …
I’ve come home hoarse many a day. It is in most cases well worth the fact that one knows that Junior put up work that
no one else has to touch till they refit the building, and how important it is to be done right the first time to achieve this.
I teach them everything I know, I don’t want to go back over their work except for reviewing H,W,W,W,W …
Last edited:
e57
Senior Member
- Location
- San Francisco, CA
I usually start with the basics - a 30 minute conversation:
Now I'm with a start up shop working for my former apprentice.... Go figure.
- Day starts at 7:30 HERE!
- Break at 10-10:15
- Lunch at 12-12:30
- Break at 2-2:15
- Tools go out to the truck at 3:30 (15 min usually) then site/material clean up until 4! (Followed by a story about a boss who told me if he ever saw me with a broom he would sack me and re-hire me as a janitor.)
- If you have questions ASK, no question is a dumb one... Don't know how to do something ASK - it costs more to do it twice, much - much more the third time.
- Then some basic site safety. Double check the have a volt-tick, and know how to use it, and inform then that they should treat everything as live.
- Then ask what they know, what they think they know, and quiz them on I know that they don't know.
- Ask what tools they are familiar with - everything on my truck...
- Then a few hand-outs about line diagrams (as I lay everyone out with them), one that describes framing and structural features with some comments about what to drill and what never to drill without explicite permission - tell them to go read them and come see me when they are done. (I refill my coffee and set up some work for them - usually the dumb end of pulling cable or wire under close supervision.)
Now I'm with a start up shop working for my former apprentice.... Go figure.
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