How much Theory do Apprentices need

[Ed MacLaren]

Re: How much Theory do Apprentices need

In my experience, the best route for most aspiring electricians is an apprenticeship program that provides mandatory "in-school" sessions scheduled throughout the apprenticeship period.

Generally, only the very motivated student will be able to handle all of the theory "up front", that is, before starting work at the trade.

Our apprenticeship program is a three-way agreement/contract between the apprentice, the employer, and the Apprenticeship Division of our Dept. of Education. (Government)

The registered apprentice is expected to spend six weeks of each year of his four-year apprenticeship in school.
His employer is expected to deliver the "skill component" on the job, while we were responsible for delivering the "knowledge component" of his training.

The apprentice is "released" from his job for the six-week training period, is paid by the Unemployment Insurance system, and gets his job back, providing his employer has work for him.

When the prescribed Modules of our program are completed, the apprentice is eligible to write the "Interprovincial" journeyman exam, which is administered by the Apprenticeship people, and is recognized country-wide.

How much theory? Our program content is determined by an Apprenticeship Advisory Board, made up of representatives from the industry - contractors, journeymen, inspectors, and engineers.

Our apprenticeship program was able to cover more content in 24 weeks (6 weeks x 4 years) than our Community College's 40 week full-time program.

Most of the guys were better able to relate to the theory concepts after having been exposed to the practical aspects of the trade.

Ed

[ March 07, 2005, 08:04 AM: Message edited by: Ed MacLaren ]

 

[caosesvida]

Re: How much Theory do Apprentices need

I agree.

Without the concept of how electicity works I don't think you are safe working in the field. Grounding seems to be the most misunderstood or ignored part of the installers mindset.

I agree that the student has to want to learn, and that I think is the teachers responsibility, at least to help or spark imagination or thinking. Once you have done that the student will want to learn more and continue.

The hands on should come from the employer, without it, the concepts are much harder to understand without the reference of the real world.

You have to have employers who want high end electricians not robots.

A lot of factors and variable to figure in,
Its a tough balance between making money,
( unfortunate by product of being able to have a class to teach) and striving for a high level class.

 

[sirdle]

Re: How much Theory do Apprentices need

The great men and women in the history of science (Ampere, Bacon, Boyle, Brahe, Coulomb, Fararday, Edison, Fleming, Franklin, Galileo, Galvani, Gilbert, Curie, Henry, Herschel, Hooke, Huygens, Joule, Kelvin, Kepler, Leibnez, Newton, Ohm, Tesla, Volta, Watt, Westinghouse, and Wren among many, many others) were all primarily experimenters.

They fiddled about and worked with their hands. They thought about what they saw, tried more experiments, and finally summarized their observations with theories.

If theory is to be taught in the classroom, that is the way it should be taught. Lots of hands-on experiments. Lots of fiddling around. And finally a formula or a conclusion.

To go on about magnetic lines of flux... and inductance... and right-hand rules... is incredibly boring. Add math on top of it and it becomes super, incredibly, boring. But bring in a motor that can be taken apart and stared at... now we're getting somewhere. How come that wire goes around and around that metal thing? How come the current through the motor winding is different than through the heater coil we looked at last week? We measured the same resistance, didn't we? How come we can't blow through this solenoid valve when it is energized? Why are there so many pins on that relay and how come it worked at 24v but not 120v?

There is great beauty and wonder in the natural world, and theory can help us to understand it, but only when the theory is developed in the proper context. Otherwise we are just memorizing the results of somebody else... that's just totally itch!

 

[izak]

Re: How much Theory do Apprentices need

as an Apprentice, who started on the Union side, and somehow ended up enduring and Apprenticeship on the Non-Union side, it has been quite difficult to adjust..

contractors in the south, (arkansas anyway) do not want an apprentice that thinks for himself.
The more he/she knows about the code, or theory, the more things he/she can realize that are being done WRONG

and it happens all the time..

of the ... six contractors i have worked for in the last 4 years, NOT ONE wants to hear a damn thing about bonding bushings, or de-rating, or box fill. what they want is INSTALLERS who can get it in, make it work, and finish the job before they loose money..


I agree with EVERY person in this forum that wants to teach theory, code, mechanics, or any other thing even remotely related to the trade, but where i am at, knowledge of theory and code is more of a hindrance to your employer's viewpoint than they are a benefit

 

[derf48]

Re: How much Theory do Apprentices need

The first question that must be answered before any curriculum is established is "Are we a trade or are we a profession". If, as many contractors want us to believe, we are only a trade, then you will be training installers and that contractor should charge less per hour for that person to be on the job. If we are training professionals, where proof of knowledge is required for employment (licensing) and continued education requirements are enforced to renew that license, then a curriculum full of theory is very important.

An apprentice program is trying to prepare students to become proficient in using the NEC in their daily job. For anyone to correctly apply the NEC an understanding of theory is vital. Remember to read the code requires a grade 17 level of electrical installation and electrical theory. I personally believe that no one out there has this ability, but with a grade level of 7 or 8 in electrical theory a "electrician " will be severly handicapped.

Talk to your contractors again. Listen to your contractors. What do they really want? What do they really need? Listen to your students, try to understand if what you teach has any real life practicality. Audit your program and your teachers. They both must be accurate and able to hold the majority of the students attention. Certain areas of theory may be given less attention, such as inductive and capacitive reactance, and certain areas may need to be brought to the real world, such as series and parallel circuits.


The most underpaid and under appreciated person in this world is a teacher. Then to be a teacher in an industry that puts a premium on speed of installation and in many cases discourages knowledge, requires special training and expertese. students are always going to complain about being "forced" into learning, especially if we are teaching in the 1980's. A dynamic teacher is only part of the solution, sometimes students remember the dynamics and not the lesson. The students attitude must also be in the right place for a good learning atmosphere, and contractor support is vital in this area.

If your program is dependant on the contractors, then you must provide a product that they will support or you will have no students. Remember that education is a process, ongoing for the rest of your life. So your first task is to educate the contractors on the benefits of a good well rounded electrician compared to a installer. Show them how it will affect their pocketbook, and maybe they will learn the real benefits of education.

Good luck to you as you try to settle one of the oldest problems known to man, how much learning is enough.

Fred Bender