4th week IBEW apprentice, posted a few times here
Hello.
My name is BP. I am a apprentice Inside Wireman, IBEW Local 106, western NY state.
I have over a decade industrial experience as a 'machine mechanic', 'millright', 'industrial technician', 'electrician', 'maintenance man', depending on who was talking to me or what plant I was in. LOL
First plant was a precision tooling and tool and die/moldmaking manufacturer, 9 years.
Second plant was a processing and packaging plant of ground beef, 4 years.
Last plant was just like the first, 1 year.
My skills are fairly proficient in electrical installations and troubleshooting machine electrical issues. I have excellent mechanical aptitude and good mathematical skills.
I have been studying the NEC for 2 or 3 years now, and have come to know that concentrating on electrical projects are my primary passion, professionaly. (As opposed to being on a ladder running EMT and having a production supervisor call up to me to go change a V-belt on a grinding machine or clean/empty a coolant tank with a wet vac).
The beef plant was the most challenging psychologicaly and professionaly. Those plants are notorious for inadequate training of the equipment operators, EVERYTHING is washed down with high-pressure water nightly, blown off with compressed air daily... However I learned the most about electrical schematic reading and electrical troubleshooting and installations than at any of the other plants.
Also, I had company-provided Leadership Training and I earned a EPA-certified Universal Refrigeration Technician Certification there.
I have a AOS degree in Electromechanical Systems Mechanics (currently billed as Construction & Maintenance Electrician due to some ciriculum changes) from Alfred State College, SUNY, College of Technology at Wellsville, NY.
A fellow Alfred grad came to work at the meat plant and got me interested in studying the NEC (2002, 2005). I realize that it is not a installation manual, but it does offer great guidance in minimum requirements for safe and reliable installations.
At the last plant a local contractor (with IBEW electricians) was doing a complete lighting retrofit, and installed a 300kVA 480 x 208Y/120 transformer and overhead busway system to serve half of the plant that previously had only 480V and 120V supply. Watching them install all of that equipment and conduit and conductors convinced me that is exactly what I wanted to be doing.
So, I spoke to both Journeyman and a 4th year apprentice about what I needed to do in order to become one of them.
Nearly 9 months later, with the application... waiting... aptitude test scheduled... waiting... test... waiting... interview... waiting... results... acceptance... waiting for assignment... here I am.
I left a $17.50/hr job and 50hr. weeks to start at $9.80/hr and 40 hr. weeks. In the long run, I believe that I will be better off later. I have a wife, 2yr. old son, baby on the way, house, mortgage, usual bills. Surprisingly, the decision was not terribly difficult.
Unfortunately, the IBEW would not accept my training or experience, so I start out the same as a young man right out of HS with no work experience or electrical knowledge whatsoever. However, I believe I am set up to succeed in the NJATC program.
I ride motorcycle, enjoy firearms, study history, and like to hike and backpack, enjoying the outdoors.
Going to the SAME PLANT everyday for years was not for me.
SO here I am.
BP
Last edited by BP_redbear; 06-29-2008 at 09:15 PM.
Reason: it's MOTORcycle, not morocycle, LOL...
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