Diff of "construction electrician" and "industrial electrician"
CEC
1 - 15 of 15 Posts
In America, an 'industrial electrician' improves and maintains industrial field wiring. ( Smaller projects that keep coming up and the daily grind of staying on top of break-downs// shifting equipment... The position usually has no place for apprentices... with master electricians of ancient age often employed.
A 'construction electrician' builds// wires from the ground up as well as extends and re-habs existing stuff -- be it industrial, commercial, residential or institutional -- or government. This is where apprentices learn their stuff... lots of ditch work... repetitive installations. ( lighting, etc. )
&&&
These terms of art are obviously not to be found in any Code book.
A 'construction electrician' builds// wires from the ground up as well as extends and re-habs existing stuff -- be it industrial, commercial, residential or institutional -- or government. This is where apprentices learn their stuff... lots of ditch work... repetitive installations. ( lighting, etc. )
&&&
These terms of art are obviously not to be found in any Code book.
Joined
·
39,697 Posts
Have you googled it?
Construction spark>
![]()
Industrial spark>
![]()
:shifty:
~CS~
Construction spark>
Industrial spark>
:shifty:
~CS~
Joined
·
7,054 Posts
Also, in the US, in industrial you work with switch gears, threaded pipe (rigid & IMC), cable tray & controls such as switches, relays, PLCs, VFDs, power quality devices etc. Look at the "Industrial Electrical Forum" http://www.electriciantalk.com/f146/
Joined
·
11,885 Posts
So the difference is 133.
That is the difference, very true.
The reason I asked this question is now I am 4th year apprentice in Alberta, and I am preparing the 4th year Trades Qualification (TQ) exam, I think I would challenge it. After that, it would be IP.
Which IP should I take? "construction electrician" or "industrial electrician"?
What's the difference?
通过我的 MHA-L29 上的 Tapatalk发言
When I was first starting out in the trade, red seal was in its infancy and really was not an issue like it is today. To get a red seal you needed a 95% pass, but the standard pass was 75% I believe, so you could still get your licence if you were above 75%. Back then, even with the “red seal”, you still had to write the provincial exam for where you wanted to work, so a majority of guys that I did school with never bothered, it was no value added. Having said that, being a “red seal” electrician back in the day was a big deal unlike today with a pass of 70% I think.
My trade school was basic, intermediate, advanced and post-advanced. When completed I received what was then a 309-D certification that encompassed all the electrical trades including industrial, maintenance and construction; so it covered the 309 series as well as the 442A and some “machine builder” trade, can’t remember what it was…
Historically the 442A was actually generated from industry and was specific; meaning that if you were trained as a maintenance electrician in a GM automotive environment you could move to another “automotive environment”, but you could not move to a “food environment”, etc. And of course you could not do “construction” related installs; basically only troubleshoot and repair. At the time the big focus was on PLC programming and motor control.
At some point industry (government?) said what is the difference between a motor in an automotive plant and an upholstery plant, so “they” started relaxing the requirements for 442As to stay within their own area of training / focus and they were allowed to transport their ticket from one industry to another as an “Industrial Maintenance Electrician” but were still prohibited from doing construction. Just to clarify, a 442A back then (and still today) is an unregulated trade and you do not need a licence to be an “industrial electrician”. In addition while there is an apprenticeship, there is no requirement to take an apprenticeship, you can simply challenge the exam at anytime.
From what I understand the curriculum has changed between a 309A and a 442A now, so the current 309As may not have everything what the 442As are getting if they go the school route. Having said that, a 309A is still a “Construction and Maintenance” electrician in a regulated trade so I would suspect while there may not be the same focus as there once was in such things as PLC or motor control, I suspect that there is enough to get any 309A well beyond what any 442A has trained for.
Hope this helps.
Cheers
John
My trade school was basic, intermediate, advanced and post-advanced. When completed I received what was then a 309-D certification that encompassed all the electrical trades including industrial, maintenance and construction; so it covered the 309 series as well as the 442A and some “machine builder” trade, can’t remember what it was…
Historically the 442A was actually generated from industry and was specific; meaning that if you were trained as a maintenance electrician in a GM automotive environment you could move to another “automotive environment”, but you could not move to a “food environment”, etc. And of course you could not do “construction” related installs; basically only troubleshoot and repair. At the time the big focus was on PLC programming and motor control.
At some point industry (government?) said what is the difference between a motor in an automotive plant and an upholstery plant, so “they” started relaxing the requirements for 442As to stay within their own area of training / focus and they were allowed to transport their ticket from one industry to another as an “Industrial Maintenance Electrician” but were still prohibited from doing construction. Just to clarify, a 442A back then (and still today) is an unregulated trade and you do not need a licence to be an “industrial electrician”. In addition while there is an apprenticeship, there is no requirement to take an apprenticeship, you can simply challenge the exam at anytime.
From what I understand the curriculum has changed between a 309A and a 442A now, so the current 309As may not have everything what the 442As are getting if they go the school route. Having said that, a 309A is still a “Construction and Maintenance” electrician in a regulated trade so I would suspect while there may not be the same focus as there once was in such things as PLC or motor control, I suspect that there is enough to get any 309A well beyond what any 442A has trained for.
Hope this helps.
Cheers
John
Joined
·
129 Posts
Definitely take 309A. The difference is 309A can do construction and maintenance, and 442 is limited to industrial maintenance. I myself started out doing residential and commercial construction, renovations and service, and after I was licensed for a while (309A) got a job as industrial maintenance.
As far as schooling goes there might be some fluid power (pneumatics and hydraulics) as well as more PLC training, but you can always take some courses later on if you plan to go into maintenance.
As far as schooling goes there might be some fluid power (pneumatics and hydraulics) as well as more PLC training, but you can always take some courses later on if you plan to go into maintenance.
If your a registered apprentice then you are all ready registered in either 309 or 442, you cant change half way.
In Ontario it was one test. 60% got you a provincial license or 70% or more got you the red seal.
Now there is no provincial license. It's 70% pass
I am definitely going from memory, but I can say that it was substantially more to get a "red seal" back in the early 80's. They (red seals) were quite few and far between and it was a big deal to get it back then.
Maybe it was 60% and 85%... I don't know, but I know that I did get over 70% and I did not get a "red seal"... again not that it mattered back in the day... or has never mattered to this day actually!
Cheers
John
Maybe it was 60% and 85%... I don't know, but I know that I did get over 70% and I did not get a "red seal"... again not that it mattered back in the day... or has never mattered to this day actually!
Cheers
John
There's 2 IP's in Alberta? There was only the one when I took it..
News to me.
1 - 15 of 15 Posts
Join the discussion
