In an earlier article that appeared in EC&M’s E-Train e-newsletter, we focused on how electrical contractors can recruit military veterans for openings in their apprenticeship program. After the article appeared on our website, we received a note from an Air Force electrician who retired following a 24-year career.
The EC&M reader attended training in the mid 1990s in Ogden, Utah, through the local electrical union and a local trade school. Upon retirement, he was able to test for the Washington State Commercial Journeyman License.
“I know of many of my fellow military electricians who did not make the jump to the civilian sector because of a fear of the dreaded journeyman test,” he stated. “The union education I received in Utah had me so confident and prepared that I had no fear of my abilities to translate to the civilian sector, nor did I have any concerns with the test.”
The strong civilian training he received helped him to understand the National Electrical Code in a way that he didn’t learn in the military.
“My experience tells me that if military folks who want to make the transition to civilian electrician can find an avenue to get the same foundational education afforded civilian electrical apprentices, the success rate would soar and we would see many more aggressively pursue an electrician career,” he says.
Going forward, he urges electrical unions to provide classroom education to military veterans so they can successfully make the transition from the military to the civilian world.
“My goal is not to negate what the military teaches, just to make sure it’s known that it is a very targeted education specific to their unique needs,” he says. “Overlay a good civilian apprenticeship education on top and you are unstoppable!”
Fischbach is a freelance writer based in Overland Park, Kan. She can be reached at [email protected].
