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01-02-2013, 06:12 PM
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#1 | | My homepage has been set to RS
Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Vancouver
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| Electrician
Anyone here a Electrician, knows someone, or just has general knowledge?
I'm currently thinking of heading back to school for a trades job and the only one that really sparks my interest is becoming an electrician...
I've done a lot of googling and checked out the BCIT website but would like some opinions/advice from actual people within our community..
My main concern is the BCIT program for electrician seems fairly short... and it really seems most my learning would be through apprenticeship?
Can someone care to walk me through how this process works exactly!
(School -> Apprentice -> Journeyman -> Master elec. ?)
Would be nice to know how the markets doing overall, types of wages id be looking at, and pros/cons between Industrial/Residential/Construction..
I appreciate all comments
Thanks!
Edit: Lowrise pre-apprenticeship vs. Construction maint. (Pros/cons)
__________________ Quote:
Originally Posted by getalove  i took a shit in the shower and i tried to use my heel to push it down the drain |
Last edited by MelonBoy; 01-02-2013 at 06:26 PM.
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01-02-2013, 06:31 PM
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#2 | | Ready to be Man handled by RS!
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hey man, the school is really just there for you to get your feet thru the door. i didnt go thru pre-app school and did all of the learning on the job. i am jman electrician in the union. so i make 35 dollar an hour. non union journyman makes about 28-32/hour. the 3 types of electricians are residential, commercial. and industrial. residential is really labour intensive and pays alot less than commercial. industrial is the money maker but hard to get into. the job market is looking pretty good right now.
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01-02-2013, 06:38 PM
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#3 | | OMGWTFBBQ is a common word I say everyday
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Was wondering about the same. There's 2 choices at bcit the electrical foundation program and the traditional apprentice program. What would you guys recommend?
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01-02-2013, 06:39 PM
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#4 | | My homepage has been set to RS
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There are several ways to go about it.
Here's most of the stuff you will need to know http://www.itabc.ca/sites/default/fi...ugust-2012.pdf
Pre-apprenticeship -> Apprenticeship 2, 3, 4 -> Journeyman
Get hired as a "helper" by electrical company -> Apprenticeship 1, 2, 3, 4 -> Journeyman
You need 6000 hours total to complete your apprenticeship. It goes by fast, when I finished I was way over with 9000 hours.
Some people can choose to challenge the whole trade after having maybe 1st year and a bunch of work experience, but I wouldn't do that.
After you get your ticket you can always branch off and specialize in something.
In Vancouver, for residential I would say the wages are not great but there is a lot of work.
If you go out into the oil patches or a rig as an industrial electrician, I hear you can pull about 80-100k per year because of all of the overtime 2 weeks nonstop 12 hour days. (I am currently interested in these kinds of jobs and wouldn't mind redoing some of my apprenticeship to also get an industrial ticket for this as I am still young)
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Electrician.
Last edited by Matlock; 01-02-2013 at 06:47 PM.
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01-03-2013, 08:58 AM
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#5 | | OMGWTFBBQ is a common word I say everyday
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^thanks for the info, and good luck on your lifts!
ps. did you go the traditional route?
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01-05-2013, 07:04 PM
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#6 | | HELP ME PLS!!!
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Just a question.
I work as a security alarm tech. And sometimes I see East Indian people coming in packs to finish a new construction house. Do all of them have training / licence?
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01-05-2013, 07:16 PM
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#7 | | Ready to be Man handled by RS!
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u can challenge the exam for security. most electrician get it once they have their ticket. a couple jman i know is dual ticketd. i am planning to get the data ticket myself.
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01-05-2013, 07:41 PM
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#8 | | My homepage has been set to RS
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Originally Posted by LC21 ^thanks for the info, and good luck on your lifts!
ps. did you go the traditional route? | Thanks. Yes, I worked as a helper for a few years before doing my first year... then second... then worked for like 3 years and did 3 + 4 back to back. Quote:
Originally Posted by alex.w *// Just a question.
I work as a security alarm tech. And sometimes I see East Indian people coming in packs to finish a new construction house. Do all of them have training / licence? | They might have a few licensed guys and many non licensed.
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Electrician.
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01-06-2013, 08:35 PM
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#9 | | My homepage has been set to RS
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Originally Posted by Matlock There are several ways to go about it.
Here's most of the stuff you will need to know http://www.itabc.ca/sites/default/fi...ugust-2012.pdf
Pre-apprenticeship -> Apprenticeship 2, 3, 4 -> Journeyman
Get hired as a "helper" by electrical company -> Apprenticeship 1, 2, 3, 4 -> Journeyman
You need 6000 hours total to complete your apprenticeship. It goes by fast, when I finished I was way over with 9000 hours.
Some people can choose to challenge the whole trade after having maybe 1st year and a bunch of work experience, but I wouldn't do that.
After you get your ticket you can always branch off and specialize in something.
In Vancouver, for residential I would say the wages are not great but there is a lot of work.
If you go out into the oil patches or a rig as an industrial electrician, I hear you can pull about 80-100k per year because of all of the overtime 2 weeks nonstop 12 hour days. (I am currently interested in these kinds of jobs and wouldn't mind redoing some of my apprenticeship to also get an industrial ticket for this as I am still young) | A union 4th year utility electrician apprentice in alberta will make around 75-80k base in 2013. Journeyman rate is($41.91 – $46.60) I would expect in Ft McMurray 200k would be attainable with overtime for a journeyman. I've been looking up companies in alberta collective agreements the past couple days so these numbers aren't bs. Getting those jobs is a different story though.
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01-06-2013, 11:38 PM
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#10 | | OMGWTFBBQ is a common word I say everyday
Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: richmond Lah!
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^ please report back w
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01-07-2013, 01:10 PM
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#11 | | Oh goodie, 5 posts already!
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How would one go about obtaining an apprenticeship without any connections?
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01-07-2013, 01:28 PM
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#12 | | I WANT MY 10 YEARS BACK FROM RS.net!
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Originally Posted by MelonBoy I'm currently thinking of heading back to school for a trades job and the only one that really sparks my interest is becoming an electrician... | 
__________________ Quote:
Originally Posted by Godzira Does anyone know how many to a signature? | ..
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brianrietta Not a sebberry post goes by where I don't frown and think to myself "so..?" | | |
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01-07-2013, 04:10 PM
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#13 | | Ready to be Man handled by RS!
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01-08-2013, 10:33 AM
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#14 | | OMGWTFBBQ is a common word I say everyday
Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: richmond Lah!
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Apparently the waitlist at BCIT for the electrical foundation is until winter 2014....
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01-08-2013, 11:42 AM
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#15 | | My homepage has been set to RS
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That's why people would just go to Alberta to SAIT or find a company to hire them on as a helper.
Was the company just looking for a helper Matlock, then figured they'd support you in an apprenticeship?
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01-08-2013, 01:05 PM
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#16 | | My homepage has been set to RS
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I was actually very lucky. After high school I had no interest in electrical. My dad is an electrician. In the beginning of 2005 he goes and says, "I got you a job". He helped me pick out my first set of shitty tools from Home Depot and I paid him back after my first pay cheque making only $12 an hour as a helper.
Dad really pushed me by saying that if I get my apprenticeship done, then I would always have a trade to fall back on. After I get it done I could do whatever else I want. Since I've been done, there's no way in hell I'm going to start from the beginning doing something else. Anyways it's a good trade. I work in the private (non-union) sector. Wages aren't great, but I enjoy the work and there's always lots more to learn everyday.
Working with parents can be very demanding, considering if they want their children to be better than them. He kicked my ass for sure.
We were working for very small company. Doing some high end to medium residential, some light commercial, and some lower end renos to fill the in betweens. The only workers were the owner, my dad, and me. After 5 years of tough work, things slowed down and we both got laid off and went out separate ways.
Dad went on his own trying to build his own little electrical company, but ran out of work after a while.
I went the other way working for a different company with about 30 employees, doing some super duper high end residential and some not as high end. Totally different work environment. The beginning of last year I got my dad to join up and now we both work for the same company, but different crews. So I get to see him once in a while.
Anyways, if you can manage to get hired as a helper. Make sure they send your hours in and get your first year of school done asap! Then it should be smooth sailing. Waiting lists at BCIT sure suck, but they are not as bad as they used to be.
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Electrician.
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01-09-2013, 10:37 PM
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#17 | | My homepage has been set to RS
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^^^^^  thought no one was gonna get that 
I talked to BCIT adviser + VCC career counselor and will try get some insight from an BCIT prof...
Seems like this is the direction ill be heading and appreciate the contribution to this thread!
For some others who are career hunting like me this website might help you Career Cruising
It has some solid info and was given to be by the counselor
__________________ Quote:
Originally Posted by getalove i took a shit in the shower and i tried to use my heel to push it down the drain | | |
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01-09-2013, 11:21 PM
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#18 | | OMGWTFBBQ is a common word I say everyday
Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: richmond Lah!
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^^
wow i did the career cruising back in grade 10. Funny thing, my first choice came up as a butcher, second choice was a plumber, third was electrician.
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01-10-2013, 05:17 AM
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#19 | | I WANT MY 10 YEARS BACK FROM RS.net!
Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Abbotstan
Posts: 20,721
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Originally Posted by LC21 ^^
wow i did the career cruising back in grade 10. Funny thing, my first choice came up as a butcher, second choice was a plumber, third was electrician. | I wonder if anyone ever did that and had it come back "Sitting on your ass addicted to RS"?? 
__________________ Quote:
Originally Posted by Godzira Does anyone know how many to a signature? | ..
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brianrietta Not a sebberry post goes by where I don't frown and think to myself "so..?" | | |
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