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A Guide to Becoming an Electrician
There are several training paths which can be taken to become an electrician. Often an educational or training program followed by an apprenticeship program is the popular way to start an electrician’s career. Several groups offer training programs like the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers local unions or even individual electrical contracting companies.
The duration of training programs is about 4 years and there are 144 hours of classroom instruction per year and plenty of job-training opportunities. The subjects offered vary from electrical theory, maths, blueprint reading to specialized topics like elevators, fire alarm systems and soldering. Often you have to take whatever you get, because the topics are related to the company offering the training.
The kind of job training that is offered is ideal for anybody wanting to pursue an electrician’s career. It starts with basic processes and as the training progresses the students are taught the finer jobs performed by electricians like drawing diagrams for electrical systems and wiring for houses and commercial buildings. They have the opportunity to work with several electricians unions in many organizations.
Some students begin with the training program in the classroom, some with the apprenticeship and a third group with a combination of both. Those who start with training are taken in class at an advanced level, than those who start with the training and classroom together, as they start at the basic level.
Even after an electrician receives his license, his education does not stop. In order to pursue an electrician’s career he has to take part in safety programs, management programs and even programs for manufacturer-specific tools and products. Only then is it possible for him to be on top of the latest developments in his line of work.