Required Reading For your First Year Apprentice

[frizbeedog]

Sooooo.....

You want to get the young bucks interested in the code. How do we begin?

I constantly slam my apprentices with questions, sometimes beyond their experience, just to get them thinking.

What articles would be best for them to learn first?

What tips and techniques would get them going in the realm of understanding the application of the code in daily practice?

Is this a pipe dream?

 

[peter d]

Personally, I would ask them questions to get them to think about the "how and why" we do things, as well as challenge the myths and misconceptions they might have already learned.

Things like:

Does the current always seek the path to ground? A corollary: Why do we bond and ground non-current carrying metal parts?

Are there situations when we can put #12 wire on a 40 amp breaker? If so, why?

Why do we derate conductors?

What are the advantages of using multiwire branch circuits?

Explain the fundamental difference between a single phase system and a 3-phase system (uh oh )

What is the difference between an open and a short? Why are these two things extremely important to understand?

etc etc....

 

[peter d]

Is this a pipe dream?

I hate to say it, but for a good percentages of apprentices it is. However, for the ones who want to learn and excel in the trade, it's not a pipe dream at all.

 

[frizbeedog]

Personally, I would ask them questions to get them to think about the "how and why" we do things, as well as challenge the myths and misconceptions they might have already learned.

Things like:

Does the current always seek the path to ground? A corollary: Why do we bond and ground non-current carrying metal parts?

Are there situations when we can put #12 wire on a 40 amp breaker? If so, why?

Why do we derate conductors?

What are the advantages of using multiwire branch circuits?

Explain the fundamental difference between a single phase system and a 3-phase system (uh oh )

What is the difference between an open and a short? Why are these two things extremely important to understand?

etc etc....

All great questions. :smile:

Even better than required reading......Required Thinking.

I should have titled this Required Fundamentals For First Year Apprentices.

I love the point where you're working with an apprentice and the light of understanding finally goes on. Fascinating.

Since most of us in the field are not professional teachers, I think about this a great deal. What better place to learn?

 

[iaov]

I believe the first thing an apprentice needs to learn ( besides the fact that I take my coffee black) is Ohms Law. Forwards, backwards, upside down and sideways. A complete understanding of Ohms Law is the foundation upon wich all else is built.

 

[crossman]

I agree with iaov above. And of course, the thorough understanding of Ohm's Law requires a thorough understanding of voltage, current, and resistance.

If you don't know the theory, how can you ever hope to understand why the code rules exist in the first place?

 

[Minuteman]

Here is a link to a website that will help them.

 

[480sparky]

I've seen this book on more than one occasion:

Never read it, but I'm not sure what ethnics has to do with it, though.

 

[frizbeedog]

Here is a link to a website that will help them.

At first I thought that the link was bogus......but then I got the point. Very true.

I try to spread the gospel of the forum but it falls on deaf ears.

 

[quogueelectric]

Let them know that the most important purpose for them is to make sure that the coffee and lunch order is correct and on time to keep 20 men wandering around at almost a dollar and a half a minute looking for the 3$ eggsandwich that is screwed up with all the coffees wrong Because he tried to be a hero and put one more light up. and what ever else he does durring the rest of the day is just gravy. Or he is fired btw

 

[frizbeedog]

Let them know that the most important purpose for them is to make sure that the coffee and lunch order is correct and on time to keep 20 men wandering around at almost a dollar and a half a minute looking for the 3$ eggsandwich that is screwed up with all the coffees wrong Because he tried to be a hero and put one more light up. and what ever else he does durring the rest of the day is just gravy. Or he is fired btw

That was funny and all.....


.....but if we treat them that way, what hope do they have?

I was never fond of the "eat cow pies" theory as an introduction to electrical.

A waste of time really.

 

[quogueelectric]

That was funny and all.....


.....but if we treat them that way, what hope do they have?

I was never fond of the "eat cow pies" theory as an introduction to electrical.

A waste of time really.

If I am hired to watch the bosses money It is not a waste of time. There is plenty of time to teach durring the 8hrs of the day but the bottom line is money. It is a dollar sitting on a nickel but much worse and that needs to be stressed without hurting delicate helpers feelings. I believe I still have support groups in my name for hurtful words to aprentices. I never saw a tail wag a dog has cost thousands in therapy for the last 25 yrs so they tell me.

 

[frizbeedog]

If I am hired to watch the bosses money It is not a waste of time. There is plenty of time to teach durring the 8hrs of the day but the bottom line is money.

This part I agree with.

The question still stands. What's the fastest way to get them up to speed? The faster the better, to keep productivity up.

Granted, I rephrased it, but the idea is the same.

 

[480sparky]

I think the most important thing is to be able to recognize someone with the ability to 'be brought up to speed'. Those who are just in it for a paycheck aren't worth the time.

 

[quogueelectric]

This part I agree with.

The question still stands. What's the fastest way to get them up to speed? The faster the better, to keep productivity up.

Granted, I rephrased it, but the idea is the same.

You cant rush greatness everything takes time and you have to realize your place at the time. There is no easy way to learn this stuff quickly. You will die or worse yet kill someone who was depending on your expertise. Good layout and brainless repetitive motion layout by the foreman is the key in my opinion. The biggest waste by far is the lack of proper material on the job by the foreman who screwed up and is covering his butt. If I were a supervisor I would check every job for basic tools and material readily available to do the job each day this is by far where the most money is lost. And it takes the wind out of the sails of men trying to do the right thing when they have to hunt for tools and material.

 

[quogueelectric]

This part I agree with.

The question still stands. What's the fastest way to get them up to speed? The faster the better, to keep productivity up.

Granted, I rephrased it, but the idea is the same.

You keep a good aprentice feeding a good mechanic with the tools and material and the job will be a huge winner. The key to sucess is to surround yourself with tallent and then it gets easy for the boss. You have to give people an idea of what you expect from them every day and dont reprimand them in front of others when they screw up. Productivity on the helpers part will hurt productivity X20 on the mechanixs end. Every owner thinks with more helpers we will make more money. It is not that simple.

 

[e57]

Required Reading For your First Year Apprentice

Employee manual...
Miranda Warning????

You have a right to two tens a day, when I say so, usually at 10, and 2
and lunch that you will pick-up at 11:30 for whole crew delivered at 12:00.
Otherwise it will be less talk and more work. Shake and Move....

Shacka Moo!!!!

 

[JohnJ0906]

I think the most important thing is to be able to recognize someone with the ability to 'be brought up to speed'. Those who are just in it for a paycheck aren't worth the time.

I agree. Unfortunately, more than half (IME) are in the 2nd category.

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

In Regards To Treating Apprentices

In Regards To Treating Apprentices

There are two types of people hired who have little or no experience, and they need to be treated differently.

1. Helper/laborer- if you/your boss are looking for someone to hump pipe, dig trenches and do manual labor, etc...this is what you are looking for. This guy is not really going to be an electrician and he is most likely a transient type of worker. We see a lot of this today...they stand on the corner in the morning in larger municipalities.

2. Apprentice - This guy is going to get coffee, hump pipe, etc... the difference is the amount of time, money, lost productivity and energy invested in this individual. In order for this industry to grow in a positive direction and your company to grow as well, this guy is special. You, become the HELPER, in essence you are helping him to be a better electrician than you are.

 

[frizbeedog]

2. Apprentice - This guy is going to get coffee, hump pipe, etc... the difference is the amount of time, money, lost productivity and energy invested in this individual. In order for this industry to grow in a positive direction and your company to grow as well, this guy is special. You, become the HELPER, in essence you are helping him to be a better electrician than you are.

That's what I always hope for.

Working with a new apprentice the last two weeks, whose background was new residential wiring. Roping Houses, all planed out for him. Not a lot of thinking involved.

Here's what he was exposed to in the last two weeks. None of it new construction. He looked like a deer in the headlights most days.


*HVAC wiring, Heat pumps and AC's.

*Hot Tub's and land landscape wiring.

*Lighting controls. Contactors and photocells.

*Pool equipment Emergency Shut Off retrofit, and rewiring of pool pump equipment.

*Manufactured Home Service, and Feeder.

*Digging Utility splice pit for direct burried service laterals, for relocation of underground service.

*Installation of ceiling fans, cut in new boxes and run new cables.

*Service calls, Basic troubleshooting.

*Service upgrade, install new overhead meter main, new grounding and bonding, run new feeder, and swap out loadcenter.

I may have left out something but those are the highlights. He's had more new stuff thrown at him in two weeks, than in his whole first year of training.

...but then there's always next week. :smile: