Let’s Fast Forward into the First Week of August….

When I last wrote, I was two weeks into being a Journeyman Electrical professional. The responsibilities are on another level but I totally feel my training has made me rise to the occasion.

Let’s Fast Forward into the First Week of August….

Here I sit with the tremendous honor of blogging from the N.J.A.T.C ‘s N.T.I at University of Michigan as a the Outstanding Apprentice for 2009 from local 26’s J.A.T.C.

”What? Where? ”That’s pretty much what my foreman said when I told him I was leaving for a week to go to N.T.I. Let me explain…this is the 20th year of the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee’s (N.J.A.T.C.) National Training Institute (N.T.I.). This also happens to be the first year that N.T.I is being hosted in Michigan. N.T.I. is basically continuing education on the latest trends in the electrical field, primarily for instructors. This is a collection of over 1,900 of the United States, Canada and additional IBEW territories, finest electrical minds. It is a tradeshow/ convention/ higher learning collective held this year from August 1 - 7, 2009

Saturday 8/1/2009: Today we flew out in the early morning and arrived in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Registration was at the tradeshow hosted by the NTI featuring various electrical vendors…huge.

Sunday 8/2/2009: This morning there was an Outstanding Apprentice Meeting….out of 4000 apprentices nationwide, we were a group of 34... The push for excellence in this industry is amazing and to be sitting among the best in the field is humbling; and later to be recognized as a part of this group, in front of the 1,900 plus industry professionals was truly a source of pride.

Monday 8/3/2009: This was the first day of classes. I am taking a leadership class and a film editing class. Our strength is in our training and you can see why…the instruction is on the highest level….every NTI instructor is an expert in the field with multiple years of experience in positions or doctorates in their fields or both.

Tuesday 8/4/2009: Today we discussed the topic of cliques and “gang box lawyers” and how this is affecting our push toward excellence across jurisdictions. Cliques being the “in group”, who put themselves above the Union and the brotherhood. “Gang box lawyers”, that guy who tells you “Awww, don’t worry about learning that technical stuff. You’ll never use it in the field”

The fact is, neither the Union, nor the contractor benefits from this attitude, and what is affected truthfully is production, training and our market share of work.

Every Electrician I talk to here, weather it is from our local or it is members from other jurisdictions; the message is the same. “Be the best that you can be. Stay humble, don’t be afraid to make mistakes but learn from them. Learn period. Keep learning and give back to the Union that has given you so much.” Our strength is in our training. Our push has to be nothing less then excellence across the board. I get it….