A career in Electrical Installation

in article snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com, Simon at snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote on 11/16/03 12:59 PM:

*Mathematics* covers a lot of sin, from figuring out the sum 2 + 3, to the differential geometry of strin theory (I don't even know if this last item makes sense). I think the dumbest electrician will have to know how to calculate the cost of wire to do a job. Can you do that?

Bill

Its not much past high school algebra and a little bit of trig. Mostly if you are doing the labor you will need to learn physical skills, hand-eye coordination, and such things. If you want to enter in to such a career your best bet is to get into a electrician apprenticeship program with some union some where. sadly, its about the only skills training in this area of endeavor that can be easily transferred where ever you might go.

Some IBEW locals are known for producing really high quality people, some for producing real sad sacks. If you want to make a career out of it, you might as well move go to a local that will give you better training.

Keep in mind that outside urban areas, there is little demand for union labor to do house wiring. people are sick of paying $35/hour to have supposedly skilled people argue over who can drill holes in the studs to route the wiring, and avoid union labor as much as possible. If you just want to do house wiring, in most areas its relatively easier to do, but the skill set is not recognized elsewhere. and the real money is in the construction side where so called "prevailing wage" laws basically force the use of what would otherwise be non-competitive labor sources, and there is a LOT of potential for OT.

What a buch of lies. Typical hersey crap. IBEW union labor makes about $15 and hour wiring houses. We don't have the time to work for that wage. We give those jobs to apprentices that moonlight on them. Union electricians make about $35 and hour and with overtime make up to $3500 a week here in Alaska. You will need to pass a fairly hefty math test to get in and will have to have a High School Diploma and have taken Algebra, Geometry, and some Trigonometry. Bending pipe can be highly mathematical when it comes to the larger sizes because it does not fudge much. Laying out work also requires a lot of simple and accurate arithmetic and geometry. If you want to be a really good electrician get into the IBEW apprenticeship program. They may require that you take some math courses before you can get in.

Just what do you consider a lie? I did say no one will pay the union wages for residential work unless forced too. And I said you should go construction, because of the money and the OT. Just what do you find objectionable?

None of which is anything past what you will get in high school algebra and trig.

Try this:

The IBEW has various categories of wireman, including Residential, where the wage scale is lower than the Journeyman Inside Wireman. There are some contractors who wire only custom homes, with all the special features that modern electronics can provide. I have seen some Residential Wiremen that are so efficient that they are prized by the contractor, and they make their own conditions on the job, sometimes roughing in a house in little more than half a day and then taking the rest of the day off. The contractor required only one house a day, and didn't mind at all that the wireman left the job at 2:00 PM -- kind of a job bonus for the wireman. But, these things are not the norm, and are worked out between the wireman and the contractor.

What city do you work at in Alaska?

How many people are they taking as apprentices this year?

I'm trying to get into the appren. program here in Portland, OR but Alaska sounds better.

Gerald Newt> > Its not much past high school algebra and a little bit of trig. Mostly if

Alaska is booming. Come on up. It will be this way for the next two years. Read:

today's local newspaper.

I'm not even an apprentice yet.

Gerald Newt> > What city do you work at in Alaska?

Gerald Newton wrote: :: Alaska is booming. Come on up. It will be this way for the next :: two years.

Gerald....are they putting out any travelers up there?

Thanks, Scott

YES! But work is slowing down until May. In May it will pick up.