Passed Wisconsin Exam - A Few Notes

[garbo]

Unfortunately yes. There are a limited amount of approved courses. Mostly they are code update courses and changes in state departments have taken a toll on how often a new NEC edition gets approved. The state used to approve new editions almost concurrently with their publication. We're still on 2017 with no clear announcement for a new adoption, but they are working on it.

I attended a 8 hour CEU class just on health care years ago before I started working at a large hospital. Unfortunately the NJ based company that held them went out of business. Liked attending the 8 yearly great local IAEI meetings that always had very interesting two hours of CEU'S. Even though a few of them were not on any work that I would work on. I always turned down installing power on built in swimming pools due to life long liability issues even though I carried ample insurance but found the CEU'S for pools very interesting. Was fortunate to be at two IAEI classes that Mike Holt was the presenter. Both had triple the number of regular attendees.

 

[jim dungar]

It used to easy to get courses approved for CEUs.
Over the years I created and taught courses on things like SCCR, selective coordination, and NFPA70E. These were offered through supply houses. Some even discussed new code topics that were proposed for WI but not yet approved.

Have things changed with the State along with their 'electrical division'?

 

[ggunn]

Six hours per year of CEU? Do people just take the same classes over and over again?

Unfortunately, as we used to say in the semiconductor business, "you get what you measure". If all that is counted is the number of hours spent on CE, and there is a shortage of available, applicable, and affordable courses, that's what you get - a waste of time and money spent just to check the box.

 

[jim dungar]

I thought the WI requirement was for CEUs over a three year license cycle not a minimum number per year.

 

[garbo]

I thought the WI requirement was for CEUs over a three year license cycle not a minimum number per year.

Depends on what state you are in .Some require a set # CEU hours a year while others only require them every three years Wish my state had a state electrical license because it would be easier to have a set procedure state wide. Not sure if it's still allowed but in some small towns anybody can obtain a general contractors license then pull permits while building at least thier own house. Unfortunately this turns hard working busy inspectors into teachers where they have to go out to the same job numerous times after many failures then have to explain what they did not properly do to the codes. I would rather take CEU'S in person. Preferred the 8 yearly very informative IAEI meetings that supplied 2 CEU'S each time over a wide variety of subjects.

 

[jim dungar]

Depends on what state you are in .

Which is why I mentioned the specific state being discussed by The OP and other posters.

I did find my answer in post #1. Wisconsin require 24 CEU over 4 years, there is not a minimum amount per year.

 

[Corysan]

It used to easy to get courses approved for CEUs.
Over the years I created and taught courses on things like SCCR, selective coordination, and NFPA70E. These were offered through supply houses. Some even discussed new code topics that were proposed for WI but not yet approved.

Have things changed with the State along with their 'electrical division'?

I took engineering classes at the local technical college some years ago, and the instructors didn't seem interested in pursuing state approval. It was unclear to me at the time how to go about CEU aproval from a student's position. There are state technical colleges listed on the approved provider list, but the closest one to me on the list was offering nothing the last time I looked.
I have seen courses offered by supply houses in the past. The two downsides for me were the added cost of a lost day of work and lack of notification. Unless someone is in regular contact with a supply house it's impossible to be aware of the classes. Even then the classes were only posted on a flier taped to the counter and easy to miss.
Have things changed? It's hard to answer that. I think the state inspectors are doing their best With the administrative changes that were made a while back, there seems to me to be less budget allocated to code management. I guess the question would be how they have changed regarding when you last experienced them. With the shifting of code enforcement to the Department of Safety and Public Services from the dissolved Department of Commerce, I think the bureaucracy became less efficient. The licensure law that was passed years back has been contorted into a mess that appears to only sustain the existence of certification with little merit. The last I saw was that we now have something like seven different licenses, and there is still a lot of work allowed that doesn't require a license. I have not heard of anyone ever being fined for working without a license. The work quality hasn't improved. It really has complicated hiring for contractors that care, and added cost and time burdens to the industry at large. The only benefits I see to the industry is highlighting how poorly our apprentices have received there training, how bad tradesman can be at taking formal tests, and creating business opportunities for online trainers. The only recent change I know about is online license renewal. I think that's beneficial due to decreased wait times.
The current situation is disappointing to me overall. When I bought my first NEC I recall looking through the code panel lists and noting all of the panel members from Wisconsin that ranged from manufacturers to inspection representatives. It was encouraging to me at the time to see how heavily our state was represented. I'm not sure that's still the case.