Pre-apprenticeship training, who has done one? | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Pre-apprenticeship training, who has done one?

inreb said:
HVAC techs walk with a strut that would make an electrician blush. Top of the food chain. Need skillz to back it up.
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Top of the food chain??

You want to see some real pre-madonnas talk to some elevator mechanics.

We had some of those guys refuse to work for three months because they didn't have a temporary light in front of the door.

BTW - their cart was epic. Home made with drawers, desk and back board with hanging hooks for drivers and wrenches, built-in outlets, built-in vice, work light for the desk part.


ravensix - do math. over and over and over. You're going to have a hard time in trade school if you don't get better at math.
 
Well, if you want to be that way.......crane operators=superstars
 
mimico_polak said:
I didn't do it because I am not in a stage where I can go back to making 15-16/hr and support my family at the same time. And it's mighty hard to get your apprentice hours part time! Although you can get your G3 with some online courses only from them.
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I hear that. That's one of the bigger reasons I looked away from trades work. Hearing that there's now a required pre-apprenticeship period in some trades doesn't make that situation any better, either.
 
Mongrel said:
I hear that. That's one of the bigger reasons I looked away from trades work. Hearing that there's now a required pre-apprenticeship period in some trades doesn't make that situation any better, either.
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It's tough out there. There's going to be some lean times up front. Is it worth the sacrifice? It's always better to do it sooner rather than later. If you're bogged down with kids and commitments it'll seem like a huge hurdle. Not unlike staring a big mortgage in the face. If you're doing menial labour type work you owe it to yourself to get a trade. If you're in one of those jobs where you're just at the cusp of making ok money that's tough to give up. A trade gives you a ticket and mobility, never mind the neat skillz you learn. Something else not to be taken lightly is how are you going to feel about yourself as you age. I'm proud to say I went out of my comfort zone (apprentice at 28) and did it. I outstripped all my party friends in earning power years ago. Sad but true. I'm not sure how I would feel about myself today if I was scraping by in the general labour pool.
 
Why don';t you do this...

Apply for online courses at ilc.org
get your grade 11 uni phys or grade 12 uni/college physics.
Go get your eng and math while you're at it. They also offer inclass day time quad type semesters (running every 2 months/sem sept-june)

Once you get this done and hopefully before JAC, http://electricalapprenticeship.ca/apply/construction.html , posts their annual intake.

Annual intake is FREE and all it takes is for you to have your credentials.

Once you've done the application and aptitude test, approx 3-4months before you hear back from them, they'll tell you to come back for an interview. If you're in, they'll put you in a 2 week class to get your cards (cpr and first aid, pre-app, fall protection, whmis cards). After the 2 week period is done, you're off to work as a pre-apprentice. 1800 hours before you move onto a first year apprentice. You start getting paid the second you start working as a pre-app). It's relatively easy and i've told my friends to do it too. You'll meet a lot of guys in your class. I had some chefs, IT, sushi owner, television broadcast crew, people with dead end jobs, labourers etc etc.

I'd say if you really care about yourself, you'd push for the best. These things usually require small sacrifices. Myself for example, I was getting paid about $25/hr as a lineman w/ good benefits and the max income was about low $30s from what i heard from the old timers. I had a conversation with 309A electrician. He told me to apply and take the risk. So i did. Got paid $13/hr as a pre-ap. now my wage is higher than my previous job and it doesn't stop there. The benefits is also ridiculously good.

People always say to get your eng, math and sciences as this will open up windows for you. It's true man. Get those courses done!
 
Jimsun said:
Why don';t you do this...

Apply for online courses at ilc.org
get your grade 11 uni phys or grade 12 uni/college physics.
Go get your eng and math while you're at it. They also offer inclass day time quad type semesters (running every 2 months/sem sept-june)

Once you get this done and hopefully before JAC, http://electricalapprenticeship.ca/apply/construction.html , posts their annual intake.

Annual intake is FREE and all it takes is for you to have your credentials.

Once you've done the application and aptitude test, approx 3-4months before you hear back from them, they'll tell you to come back for an interview. If you're in, they'll put you in a 2 week class to get your cards (cpr and first aid, pre-app, fall protection, whmis cards). After the 2 week period is done, you're off to work as a pre-apprentice. 1800 hours before you move onto a first year apprentice. You start getting paid the second you start working as a pre-app). It's relatively easy and i've told my friends to do it too. You'll meet a lot of guys in your class. I had some chefs, IT, sushi owner, television broadcast crew, people with dead end jobs, labourers etc etc.

I'd say if you really care about yourself, you'd push for the best. These things usually require small sacrifices. Myself for example, I was getting paid about $25/hr as a lineman w/ good benefits and the max income was about low $30s from what i heard from the old timers. I had a conversation with 309A electrician. He told me to apply and take the risk. So i did. Got paid $13/hr as a pre-ap. now my wage is higher than my previous job and it doesn't stop there. The benefits is also ridiculously good.

People always say to get your eng, math and sciences as this will open up windows for you. It's true man. Get those courses done!
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Damn, that's some good motivation speech ahah thanks man. I needed to read this
 
inreb said:
It's tough out there. There's going to be some lean times up front. Is it worth the sacrifice? It's always better to do it sooner rather than later. If you're bogged down with kids and commitments it'll seem like a huge hurdle. Not unlike staring a big mortgage in the face. If you're doing menial labour type work you owe it to yourself to get a trade. If you're in one of those jobs where you're just at the cusp of making ok money that's tough to give up. A trade gives you a ticket and mobility, never mind the neat skillz you learn. Something else not to be taken lightly is how are you going to feel about yourself as you age. I'm proud to say I went out of my comfort zone (apprentice at 28) and did it. I outstripped all my party friends in earning power years ago. Sad but true. I'm not sure how I would feel about myself today if I was scraping by in the general labour pool.
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Yes. It's not about a comfort zone though, it's about not being able to pay for food or basic rent on an apartment in this town for the two or three or even four years it would take to get up to speed (and I don't mean a masters, just an apprentice wage back to what I used to make).

I've been making about $23/hour the past few years and while that's not great money, it pays the bills, and I'm the only one able to earn in my family. Dropping to half that would put me underwater (I guess if you want to call that a 'comfort' issue, you can). Sure I could run up loans to make up the difference in the meantime, maybe think of it like student loans, but I'm really trying to avoid that, 'cause I still got my old ones and the one financial milestone I've been happiest with is having paid off every loan and line of credit off in the past two years other than what's left of my student loans.

I calculated and the lowest I could get away with making and stay afloat was $17-18/hour and that would basically mean I would have to pray I don't run into any major (i.e. $1000+) expenses. If I did (and over a few years anyone will run into those), those would absoutely have to come out of credit.

I haven't ruled out apprenticeship entirely, but a requirement for pre-apprenticeship with further depressed wages just kills that trade for me. That doesn't really bother me as much since electrical would have been my weakest choice by far. Not sure which other trades are further limiting things with a pre-apprenticship period.

Actually though, I'd rather ask a more open question, but I think that ought to be it's own thread.
 
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Competence defies any scholastic accreditation to an employer you'll actually want to work for.
 
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