first day apprentice-what to do with them?

[roger]

This apprentice is your future so teach him well as painfull as it might get or fire him if he doesnt get it.

That was 25 years ago, and after he went back in it was for life, so I guess he got the rest of his training in the big house.

My future was buying real LOTO devices.

Roger

 

[ashtrak]

New Apprentice

New Apprentice

My first couple of months as a first year apprentice was a learning experience.Along with my many other important duties I was pushing a large scaffold with three guys on it ( pretty high with a slight slope in the deck). They were hanging fixtures in a gym. They told me to lock the wheels after every move.After forgetting twice to do that, one of them climbed down and said "I guarantee you won't forget again,Because the next time it happens I'm gonna punch you in the mouth". Locking scaffold wheels has been a pet peeve of mine ever since.......

 

[mdshunk]

Now I'm with a start up shop working for my former apprentice.... Go figure.

That's funny!

I try to do right by guys, with that thought in mind.

I used to have a button that read "Be nice to me, I might be your boss someday!". In your case, that's true. I really hope that the people that I employ are smarter than me, and I really hope that at least a few of them become more successful than me. If push came to shove, I'd have no problem going to work for any of them.

Be nice... that's all I can say. If a guy's doing what he's supposed to do, and learning all along the way, treat him right.

On the other hand, I don't have any problem at all canning a guy who fails to show up, who can't grasp clear insturction, and who doesn't make an effort to learn.

 

[mdshunk]

...After forgetting twice to do that, one of them climbed down and said "I guarantee you won't forget again,Because the next time it happens I'm gonna punch you in the mouth". Locking scaffold wheels has been a pet peeve of mine ever since.......

Yeah...
I'm not especially proud of it, but a few times in my life I've been brought to fighting words like that. Such comments need to be well planned, and used very sparingly over your entire life time. On the very few occasions where it's come to that, it's been very effective. I don't reccommend it on a wholesale basis, but for the very rare odd occasion, I think it's okay to lose your cool and unload on a guy, for educational purposes. I know fellas who do this all too frequently, and that's a shame. It gets old after a while, and guys start to disappear, if you know what I mean. When it's the very rare, out of character snap, it is very effective. If a guy's saying to himself "Geeze... never seen him like that before.", you got your message across.

 

[necnotevenclose]

Have him run material, I did that when I first started (before designing) he will be alot wiser to know the widgets of the industry.

 

[jem.nola]

I've had many experiences of getting green apprentices in my time. I've always trained my apprentices to become journeymans.

After a briefing of what I expect from him, such as showing up on time, come ready to work, have a note pad and pencil handy at all times (more important than screwdrivers and sidecutters in my opinion) and a basic orientation of the job and crew.

Once this is done, I assign this new apprentice to work with one of the top apprentices to show him the ropes. Materials, power tools, when and what to pick up at the end of the day, what to pull out and set up first thing in the morning. This allows the top apprentice to start preparing himself for some leadership skills for when he becomes a journeyman and that transition will come easier for him. The new apprentice tends to pick up things a little quicker coming from an equal that has more experience while I can stay busy with the work. I've had great success with this process.

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

I also distinctly remember my first day as an apprentice. I was sent to a large job to look for the general foreman. I told him I was the new "electrical" apprentice. He said good, we have 44 men on the job, you will go get them coffee. I was a little surprised and thought maybe he misunderstood what I said, so I told him, maybe you misunderstood me, I told you I am the "electrical" apprentice. He was irritated and said he heard me, go get the coffee. I told him I am not getting coffee and I quit. I went back to the union hall and told the director of apprentices the story. He got a good chuckle. He told me what my responsibilities were going to be if I stayed in the trade as an apprentice. The next job I was sent to had more than 60 men to get coffee for...and pipe and material and clean up after...I think I learned my lesson.

 

[Limey Pete]

My personal "first thing" is safety!

I have let at least 3 green helpers go because after 3 days of constantly showing they are not capable/willing to set a step-ladder correctly so that all four legs are on the ground.

Some times you just have to give up for everyones benefit.

ps. What were they doing on the ladder?: Just a little demo!

 

[celtic]

I asked a green apprentice(GA):

ME:What's the most important job you have to do today?
GA: ummm...work?
ME: Not even close ...coffee is THE highest priority.
GA: HUH?
ME: Let's think about this ....we have x amount of guys wanting their coffee and BEC's ...if YOU don't get it, what will happen?
GA: umm...I dunno
ME: I will have x amount of men not working because coffee didn't arrive on time. Who do you think will be in trouble?
GA: The men?
ME: No...you will be. The men will be PO'ed about coffee, I will be PO'ed that production has stopped and YOU will be fired.
GA: ooooohhhhhh. What can I get you?
ME: Nothing I always bring mine because the apprentices always screw it up ....don't screw-up the guys orders..ok?

He did. LOL

 

[big john]

Show them where the restrooms are so they don't follow you into one.

I laughed out loud, because I've done it. Brand new, bird-dogging the boss who's rolling through one door after another like he's on a mission. Goes through a final door, and I barge in after him:
"HEY!"
"OH! Sorry...."

-John

 

[augie47]

first thing

first thing

from an earlier thread:

TURN OFF YOUR I-POD
PUT UP YOUR I-PHONE
AND START PAYING I-TTENTION

 

[mattsilkwood]

i agree with most here put him with one of your best guys, make him do the grunt work,running parts, clean up ect.but most important let him get his hands dirty. thats the only way you can judge his strengths and weaknesses. it was said earlier let him screw it up now and then but make him fix it,might cost a few pieces of pipe here and there but the knowledge he will learn along the way will pay off in the end. also if ive got a green helper i try to over explain every thing it seems like it helps if they have some type of undrstanding of what the end product is supposed to be and each step to get there.

its also kinda fun to send em for the wire stretcher every now and then

 

[Oakey]

New hires: Drill holes. run wire from here to there, go for coffee. Introduce him to the warehouse guys etc. Buy him a set of linesmans and a screwdriver and he'll work even harder.

 

[celtic]

Buy him a set of linesmans and a screwdriver .....

That might possible be the best advice in this thread.

I'm brutal when it comes to tools (not abusive, but they MUST perform) ...if the tool can't be used for what we as electricians do, what's the point in even buying it?

On one job, the GA shows up with strippers like this:

I was like "We ain't installing car stereos"

Then he whips out his pliers:

I won't even attempt to show this person's idea of a screwdriver.

The kid starts getting all defensive saying that he was told to buy strippers, pliers, etc...
I said...whoa, take it easy Geoffery..return those "things" to "Toy's R Us" ...and use MINE - but you better not destroy (other words used) them or you'll be buying 2 sets.
Later on he confessed that my tools were much easier to easy ....of course I went on about how some of my mad skills must have made their way into the tools
He laughed, all was good and I said - Keep 'em, when they wear out, buy the SAME items.

EDIT:
Removed that "Blocked Image" nonsense, linked to another equally useless pair of strippers.

 

[mattsilkwood]

On one job, the GA shows up with strippers like this:

QUOTE]
have you been in my tool bag?:grin:

 

[stickboy1375]

Whats with the Picture Block? thats so lame....

 

[keenalu1]

eye opener

eye opener

First,let him/her truly feel what it is they are going to be working with for the duration of this particular vocation. Next, if that is he/she sticks around, Allow him/her to master excavation engineering, dig a trench for no reason, this builds contempt. something al of us are lacking in the beginning. finally I'd have them pull hr's, mount boxes, slap up conduit, work with those putting in service, switch gear...... how adapt is he or she?

 

[celtic]

Whats with the Picture Block? thats so lame....

Isn't it?
I "stole" a picture of a piece of crap...how many years will I get?
LOL


See above....

EDIT:
Removed that "Blocked Image" nonsense, linked to another equally useless pair of strippers.

 

[stickboy1375]

Isn't it?
I "stole" a picture of a piece of crap...how many years will I get?
LOL

Quote:
Originally Posted by celtic
EDIT:
Removed that "Blocked Image" nonsense, linked to another equally useless pair of strippers.
See above....

Hey I own those... Actually they are good for cutting hardened 10-32's, with some help from a pair of channel locks, but you probably don't have that problem....

 

[celtic]

Actually they are good for cutting hardened 10-32's, with some help from a pair of channel locks, but you probably don't have that problem....

Nines and a file

EDIT:
I don't think I could even screw in a lightbulb w/o my pliers being nearby ....just in case, ya know LMAO.