From what I've seen, references matter a lot. If you have good references, getting another job isn't hard. If you have bad references, it is hard.The Spartan wrote:Is this something that happens in union* shops? Or just whatever industry he was in at the time?
Whether you have a degree or not, what your last employer thinks about you makes a big difference.
Most of it is fairly basic; if you are getting in to the big time stuff, you call in an electrical engineer*. But, like Aaron said, there can be a lot of it, along with a lot of little facts to remember, as to what devices can do, what wires can handle, how much current you get down a part of the circuit, how much light a room needs, and so on. And, of course, getting the right materials to cut, bend, etc.How much math do electricians actually do?
When I'm working with my electrician buddy, we don't often think about the math much, but he knows piles upon piles of facts and quick formulas to get the jobs done.
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* Said electrician friend has three jobs - his contracting, his day job: selling electrical supplies from a local warehouse distributor, and teaching the craft at a trade school.
He's had that middle job (the day job) the longest; he started in there laboring in the warehouse at age 15 or 16. (His father works there too, which is how he got in at the beginning.)
What's interesting is how much the company owner is willing to pay for his stuff.
She's put him through all kinds of product training things and transferable certifications. She didn't just pay for the training and tests either; she threw in a bonus and a raise for each level completed.
He recently asked her if he could borrow a couple vacation days from next year so he could do the next certification for the teaching night job. She said no...... instead, she decided to pay the whole thing and told him to go down there for the tests while on regular work time.
And, he was thinking about getting an electrical engineering degree from the state university for a while. When she got word of this, she again decided to pay for the whole thing. I think he's starting that next year.
What you might wonder is why would some filthy bourgeois pig not just be willing to, but to volunteer to pay for all this education? What would a supplier need with an engineer and teacher? I see the benefit in sales by having your people know the product, but I'm not so sure about the rest of it.
I wonder if she's just generous, if this is a loyalty thing (he has worked for her company for I believe 12 years now, and his father has been there for much longer yet), or if it's some evil plot to use him to expand her profits with long term expansion of services? Don't just buy the materials from us, buy the plans too!
Anyway though it's pretty cool, and from what I've seen, fairly common - a lot of employers pay for ongoing education. I guess they don't care much for OWNING people's asses unless they are actually productive! lol
