Becoming An Electrician
The Road to Being an Electrician
By: Blake McCaig
Mr. Waud
TIJ1O
Table Contents
Introduction
Educational Requirements
Cost to attend school
Salary
Working Conditions
Tools Required
Advancement Opportunities
My Electrician Experience
Conclusion
The Shocking Road To Being an Electrician
Introduction
Electricians help to bring electricity into homes and businesses. They install, repair, test and maintain wiring, fuses and other equipment and systems through which electricity flows. Skilled trades are always in demand, which means a career as an electrician can open many doors. If you have a high school education, the ability to work with your hands and show attention to detail, this could be a career for you. This paper will outline the steps necessary to becoming a certified electrician in Ontario. The salary, working conditions, what education is needed, tools of the trade, and different advancement opportunities are important factors to consider when perusing the career of an electrician. Electricians light up your life and make your life a whole lot easier.
Educational Requirements
To begin the journey of becoming an …show more content…
electrician, it all starts with school. Schooling for electricians can vary depending on the type of electrician you want to become. In Ontario, schooling for a Domestic and Rural electrician can take 2-4 years. This includes 8,000 hours of in-school and on-the-job technical training. After you have finished your apprenticeship, you will receive your certification that allows both customers and employers to recognize that you are equipped with the skills needed for your trade. This certification is to show that you are now a journeyman, someone who is eligible to work independently. A journeyman electrician is a mid-level electrician who has not yet advanced to master electrician status but is much more experienced than apprentices and trainees. They may remain a journeyman until they have decided on the right school to complete and receive their master electrician status.
Cost to Attend School
There are many colleges in Canada that offer the electrician apprenticeship program including, Conestoga College, Mohawk College, Sheridan College, College of the Rockies and Red Deer College. The cost to be enrolled in an three year apprenticeship program at Mohawk College, is about $8,000, which includes a minimum of 28 weeks of in-class training and 9,000 hours of on-the-job training.
Salary Once you have completed the necessary education to become a certified election you can begin collecting a salary. Electrician’s earnings can vary for many different reasons such as if they are in a union, what level of electrician you are, and where in Canada you work. On average, in a 10-hour workday, electricians make up to 360 dollars. Full time electricians can make up to $75,000 a year. When you are in school and learning to becoming an electrician, you can get paid up to 50% of a full time electrician through your apprenticeship program.
Working Conditions
There are many different locations that you could find an electrician on a daily basis. Electricians place of work can change from the shop and residents to factories and construction sites which some people enjoy having some new location to work at everyday. Electricians usually work 8-10 hours a day, sometimes in awkward positions, standing or squatting for long periods of time. Electricians do not travel very much if they are working for an independent company only to near by cities but if you are working for a large company you could be traveling for a week or two at a time.
Tools Required
During a regular workday, electricians require many different tools to be effective on their job site. The personal protective equipment or PPE’s are three pieces of equipment that are designed to keep you safe at work. The hardhat, steel-toed boots, and safety goggles are three necessary pieces of equipment for any job site. Other tools like an outlet/plug tester, tape measurer and voltage detector are extremely important to an electrician, as they check if the wire/circuit is live. 9” pliers and the screwdrivers will be the most used tool, as you need them for almost every job. A cordless drill is very handy, as it will save you a lot of time and energy that would be spent on doing the job by hand. Also a hammer, magnetic level, and wire strippers are very helpful around the job site.
Advancements Opportunities
After all the above has been completed, you have the option to further your education to become a master electrician. This is considered one of the most advanced electricians. The road to becoming a master electrician is about a 10-year process. First you must complete your electrician apprenticeship program, which takes four years. After completing your apprenticeship program you can apply for your journeyman electrician license. Once you receive journeyman status you must work for three years out in the field to meet the experience requirements to become a mater electrician. Last but not least, you must apply to take the master electrician exam. Once you pass this examination, you will be able to call yourself a certified master electrician.
My Electrician Experience
Last summer I had the opportunity to work at BCG electrical, a full service electrical contractor that specializes in industrial, commercial, and residential services here in Brantford. I was able to experience first hand various aspects of an electrical company such as installing an electrical panel, pulling wire, putting in a outlet, and lighting which was a great opportunity to see what a typical day of an electrician is like. This summer when I return to BCG I hope to learn more aspects of the job and become more familiar with the techniques and protocols of being an electrician.
Conclusion
Electricians are the men and women who bring electricity into businesses, factories and homes.
If there is wiring, fuses, and other electrical components in a facility, chances are an electrician installed it. From my report I hope to have informed you on the basics of how to become an electrician in the province of Ontario. An electrician is a great job for people who have a knack for detail, are good with their hands, and are adept at diagnosing problems and using good judgments and the right technique to solve them. After researching and writing my report I now know the steps I must pursue if I choose to become an electrician as my career. Having the opportunity to work another summer at BCG, I hope will help me make that decision. Electricians light up your life and make your life a whole lot
easier.
Bibliography
"Electrical Engineering Technician - Power Program Tuition and Fees." Program Tuition & Fees. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://www.mohawkcollege.ca/skilled-trades-programs/electrical-engineering-technician-power-diploma/fees.html>.
"Welcome to Career Cruising 2.0." Career Cruising. N.p., 2015. Web. 12 May 2015. <https://www2.careercruising.com/careers/profile-at-a-glance/157>.
"How To Become An Electrician." Become-An-Electrician.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://www.become-an-electrician.com/>.
By: Blake McCaig
Mr. Waud
TIJ1O
Table Contents
Introduction
Educational Requirements
Cost to attend school
Salary
Working Conditions
Tools Required
Advancement Opportunities
My Electrician Experience
Conclusion
The Shocking Road To Being an Electrician
Introduction
Electricians help to bring electricity into homes and businesses. They install, repair, test and maintain wiring, fuses and other equipment and systems through which electricity flows. Skilled trades are always in demand, which means a career as an electrician can open many doors. If you have a high school education, the ability to work with your hands and show attention to detail, this could be a career for you. This paper will outline the steps necessary to becoming a certified electrician in Ontario. The salary, working conditions, what education is needed, tools of the trade, and different advancement opportunities are important factors to consider when perusing the career of an electrician. Electricians light up your life and make your life a whole lot easier.
Educational Requirements
To begin the journey of becoming an …show more content…
electrician, it all starts with school. Schooling for electricians can vary depending on the type of electrician you want to become. In Ontario, schooling for a Domestic and Rural electrician can take 2-4 years. This includes 8,000 hours of in-school and on-the-job technical training. After you have finished your apprenticeship, you will receive your certification that allows both customers and employers to recognize that you are equipped with the skills needed for your trade. This certification is to show that you are now a journeyman, someone who is eligible to work independently. A journeyman electrician is a mid-level electrician who has not yet advanced to master electrician status but is much more experienced than apprentices and trainees. They may remain a journeyman until they have decided on the right school to complete and receive their master electrician status.
Cost to Attend School
There are many colleges in Canada that offer the electrician apprenticeship program including, Conestoga College, Mohawk College, Sheridan College, College of the Rockies and Red Deer College. The cost to be enrolled in an three year apprenticeship program at Mohawk College, is about $8,000, which includes a minimum of 28 weeks of in-class training and 9,000 hours of on-the-job training.
Salary Once you have completed the necessary education to become a certified election you can begin collecting a salary. Electrician’s earnings can vary for many different reasons such as if they are in a union, what level of electrician you are, and where in Canada you work. On average, in a 10-hour workday, electricians make up to 360 dollars. Full time electricians can make up to $75,000 a year. When you are in school and learning to becoming an electrician, you can get paid up to 50% of a full time electrician through your apprenticeship program.
Working Conditions
There are many different locations that you could find an electrician on a daily basis. Electricians place of work can change from the shop and residents to factories and construction sites which some people enjoy having some new location to work at everyday. Electricians usually work 8-10 hours a day, sometimes in awkward positions, standing or squatting for long periods of time. Electricians do not travel very much if they are working for an independent company only to near by cities but if you are working for a large company you could be traveling for a week or two at a time.
Tools Required
During a regular workday, electricians require many different tools to be effective on their job site. The personal protective equipment or PPE’s are three pieces of equipment that are designed to keep you safe at work. The hardhat, steel-toed boots, and safety goggles are three necessary pieces of equipment for any job site. Other tools like an outlet/plug tester, tape measurer and voltage detector are extremely important to an electrician, as they check if the wire/circuit is live. 9” pliers and the screwdrivers will be the most used tool, as you need them for almost every job. A cordless drill is very handy, as it will save you a lot of time and energy that would be spent on doing the job by hand. Also a hammer, magnetic level, and wire strippers are very helpful around the job site.
Advancements Opportunities
After all the above has been completed, you have the option to further your education to become a master electrician. This is considered one of the most advanced electricians. The road to becoming a master electrician is about a 10-year process. First you must complete your electrician apprenticeship program, which takes four years. After completing your apprenticeship program you can apply for your journeyman electrician license. Once you receive journeyman status you must work for three years out in the field to meet the experience requirements to become a mater electrician. Last but not least, you must apply to take the master electrician exam. Once you pass this examination, you will be able to call yourself a certified master electrician.
My Electrician Experience
Last summer I had the opportunity to work at BCG electrical, a full service electrical contractor that specializes in industrial, commercial, and residential services here in Brantford. I was able to experience first hand various aspects of an electrical company such as installing an electrical panel, pulling wire, putting in a outlet, and lighting which was a great opportunity to see what a typical day of an electrician is like. This summer when I return to BCG I hope to learn more aspects of the job and become more familiar with the techniques and protocols of being an electrician.
Conclusion
Electricians are the men and women who bring electricity into businesses, factories and homes.
If there is wiring, fuses, and other electrical components in a facility, chances are an electrician installed it. From my report I hope to have informed you on the basics of how to become an electrician in the province of Ontario. An electrician is a great job for people who have a knack for detail, are good with their hands, and are adept at diagnosing problems and using good judgments and the right technique to solve them. After researching and writing my report I now know the steps I must pursue if I choose to become an electrician as my career. Having the opportunity to work another summer at BCG, I hope will help me make that decision. Electricians light up your life and make your life a whole lot
easier.
Bibliography
"Electrical Engineering Technician - Power Program Tuition and Fees." Program Tuition & Fees. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://www.mohawkcollege.ca/skilled-trades-programs/electrical-engineering-technician-power-diploma/fees.html>.
"Welcome to Career Cruising 2.0." Career Cruising. N.p., 2015. Web. 12 May 2015. <https://www2.careercruising.com/careers/profile-at-a-glance/157>.
"How To Become An Electrician." Become-An-Electrician.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://www.become-an-electrician.com/>.