Mind Boggling 2

[chimp koose]

Bob... In some trades, by law ,you have to be enrolled as an apprentice or be a journeyman to hold employment longer than a few months. Electricians are that way. In other trades there are no stipulations,as in machining. There are many employers that are only allowed to hire outside their union membership when they specify a journeyman status as a job requirement and none are within the union membership.This would be for companies that do not do that specific trade as their business but rather employ tradesmen as part of their maintenance department.The interprovincial red seal is recognized Canada wide as each province has input into what aspect of knowledge should be tested in the examination process. I know a few machinists who are much more knowledgeable than me in this trade but for whatever reason did not finish or start into the trade certification process. To have your "ticket " does not make you a better tradesman than someone else but it proves your abilities to a nationally recognised standard.I have never had to fill out a job application for a machinist position since I got my "ticket".Simply stating over the phone that I have  my ticket has always been enough  .I went to University to get a teaching degree and was credited with the equivalent of a degree for my journeyman status. This cut one year out of my time at university to get a teaching degree and I recieve higher pay as a shop teacher because I am then pay classified as having a second degree .The journeymans exam in my trade required you to have a documented 8000 hours of experience before you could be tested. I wrote a 3 1/2 hour written exam with a pass /fail at 70%. I also had to do a 6 1/2 hour practical exam with the same 70% pass/fail threshold. I always take the time in class with my students to tell them about the journeymans program and the different ways you can become enrolled.

[UGLY OLDS]

That sounds like an excellent program... It brings a new meaning & pride to the
word " Journeyman" ...Simular to the "Old days" ....
Too many people reach "journeyman" status today by "putting in time" on the job ..  
I too went through a 4 year apprentice program "Back in the Day" to become a Mechanic ... Back then there were no "Technicians " or "Specialists" in car & truck repair ...I was very  fortunate to be taught how to fix "machines" .. ... As one of my mentors once told me ..." Some machines have wheels ...Some don't ...We fix them all "...

A very wise statement indeed ......

Thank You for teaching others & passing on the trade ... );b(


Bob......