In the case of Electricians and Plumbers the time requirements for becoming licensed are steep. In Maryland for example to become a "Master" electrician you need to work in the field for 7 years as an apprentice. That's kind of nuts when you consider that's about the same amount of time it takes to train a doctor.
Well I think it makes sense, there is tons of different situations that an electrician can face and if they don't have the experience, they could rig the wiring bad. I worked with my dad before, he has over 30+ years experience, he has showed and told me of jobs that were done by guys with only a couple years experience where they messed up the job bad.
It's not that surprising considering how dangerous but necessary electrical work often is. If you screw up, you could die, the building could burn down, other people could die, etc.
Absolutely and if your working with non domestic supplies (high voltage/amperage)you hope to god that if you have an bad accident that you are killed outright.
depends what a master electrician means if it is like the UK EngTech 7 years seems about right
You have the do the Trade apprenticeship (4 years) plus the advanced apprenticeship to get your EngTech - assuming your going in straight with no qualifications
I was a little confused based on your report of MD compared to my home state. I googled and it turns out MD is pretty normal after all.
When you apprentice you sign a contract stating what you'll be paid as you learn and attend classes. In my state the union rate is a bit over $30/hr and the legal contract for apprentices over the course of their 4 years (same as in MD) must average at least 60% of union rate. Usually it progresses somewhat steeply over those four years. Doctors tend not to be cash flow positive for a little while... electricians are cash flow positive after a month or so (need to pay for tools, etc)
You can't work as an electrician for those 4 years without being directly (like in sight) supervised by a master electrician. Its like being a student, although you're getting paid rather than paying for it. I think the closest doctor analogy to electrician apprenticeship would be "internship year"
After your 4 year contract is up you get a journeymans card, and can work by yourself without a master directly supervising you. Not 7 years, not even in MD. Very controversially some states allow journeymen to act as mini-masters supervising a small number of unlicensed workers (like 1, although I've heard as many as 3 depending on state) with the assumption they'll be grunt labor. Your boss will remain a master electrician. I think a pretty good doctor analogy would be "resident years"
After a couple years you can test for master, and if you make it, you'll be able to supervise and train your own small herd of apprentices and generally get paid a bit more than a journeyman. Also bonding and insurance and licenses and permits are only possible if you're a master. If you're smart enough to become a master there is really no downside to becoming one. I think the closest medical analogy to a master electrician is "hospital administrator" or maybe "department head" or "private practice"
An apprentice sits in a truck owned by a master with the master physically in the drivers seat next to him, a journeyman sits in a truck owned by the master with a fairly traditional somewhat distant supervisory relationship with his boss who is a master, and a master owns trucks and probably has some combination of journeymen working for him and noob apprentices learning from him. There are plenty of master electricians who don't have employees, but you need to be a master to have employees.
One of my army buddies got out, got a philosophy degree, eventually became a master electrician and we occasionally talk (also out of politeness he doesn't ask me to fix computers and I don't ask him to wire things). I always kinda wondered which of us made the right choices. Obviously he's richer than I am and has a more stable working environment and will have a far wealthier retirement than I will, but I am safer and healthier at my desk (or ... am I?)
Right, bottom line is to start your own business as an electrician you pretty much need to be a master or convince one to work for you. This whole scheme is going to limit supply. My point was I don't think that people's stigma against blue collar work is what is restricting the supply of a lot of trades people.
