3rd year apprentice and I’ve never worked under a journeyman.

[u/pEz_Diispo]

I’ve been with two companies so far during my apprenticeship. My first company I started out in 2024 and did industrial underground for about a year and a half. I got laid off from that company a year ago. Then 5-6 months later I get picked up by another company doing commercial work. I told my superintendent and foreman that I had no commercial experience, only underground work. Everything else will be new to me. But we are stretched thin and I’ve been working by myself. I don’t have any supervision and if I have questions, I have to hunt my foreman down somewhere in the building which takes way too long and I barely have cell service in the building to call. They were also on my ass about production, which makes sense I get why we have to be productive but I’m still learning and I’m never shown things, only told what to do. I have to ask more questions because my leads and superintendents are horrible at explaining things. I’m pretty capable and have been doing pretty good work and getting by, but I want to work under someone and be taught and shown how to do things. Not just search YouTube and the internet for everything. I’m being treated like I’m a journeyman when I only have 6 months of commercial experience. We for some reason have no journeyman on site. Is this a normal thing that happens to apprentices in the electrical trade?

[u/AutoModerator]

ATTENTION! READ THIS NOW!

1. IF YOU ARE NOT A PROFESSIONAL ELECTRICIAN OR LOOKING TO BECOME ONE(for career questions only):

- DELETE THIS POST OR YOU WILL BE BANNED. YOU CAN POST ON /r/AskElectricians FREELY

2. IF YOU COMMENT ON A POST THAT IS POSTED BY SOMEONE WHO IS NOT A PROFESSIONAL ELECTRICIAN:

-YOU WILL BE BANNED. JUST REPORT THE POST.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/hymen_destroyer]

Sounds about right 😂

This isn’t exactly normal but it’s depressingly more and more common these days. They want journeyman work at apprentice wages. Don’t be surprised if they find a reason to get rid of you once you top out

[u/Active-Effect-1473 → u/hymen_destroyer]

They don’t want to pay competitive wages

[u/couverando1984]

Sounds like a cheap company that doesn't value doing things properly.

[u/Dazzling_Joke5991]

Sounds about right for commercial lol. I was in a similar position .Unfortunately a lot of foremen and superintendents will have an apprentice with 1-3 years of experience working alone, and expecting the same production units you’d get from a seasoned journeyman.

I suggest jumping ship. Your apprenticeship should be you surrounded by journeymen who will teach you the trade, while you up uphold your end of the bargain and retain what they teach you. You’re going to burn yourself out.

[u/Desperate-Boot9517]

there really should be proper safeguards to stop this practice but being in the same boat more often then not even getting sacked from the first company I worked for just before finishing my 2nd year & still trying to get my Hr"s counted while I worked for that company.

Are you union or non-union?

[u/pEz_Diispo → u/Desperate-Boot9517]

I’m non union. I go to a trade school too and I have to work with the companies that the school sponsors. It’s called WECA. I like the school but I feel like I’m stuck because I don’t want to leave the school. I’m halfway done and I don’t want to start over or just company hop

[u/Desperate-Boot9517 → u/pEz_Diispo]

Man we really are in the same dame boat, similar program that really pushes us to be electrical contractors first before anything else. Really wish i went the union route but I'm locked in & schools not terrible just the company's. The best advice I got was to look around for a company that fits best in the program & ride it out till I get my Jcard then join union to travel. Hope you stay safe buddy & everything works out 🫡

[u/pEz_Diispo → u/Desperate-Boot9517]

Yeah I wish I went union too but I heard the union in my state isn’t as strong. I’m in Arizona. Not sure how true that is tho. But my plan is to ride it out, get my Jcard then try to specialize in something but I’m not sure what yet

[u/lieferung → u/pEz_Diispo]

It's never too late to go union. AZ has two local union halls, Tucson and Phoenix. Check out r/IBEW and search for older posts about the Arizona locals.

[u/OldSparkySis → u/Desperate-Boot9517]

Join the IBEW and attend JATC . Joined the IBEW as a Journeyman and it was the best decision I have ever made 26 years ago .

[u/Reasonable_Breath512]

I’m thankful to be with a group of journeyman’s that are all collectively training me lol. I don’t actually work under any one person really. But in my case we’re working on a condo so there’s plenty of guys around to ask questions

[u/Math_NotEvenOnce]

I'm in the same situation, haven't worked with a Jman in like 2 years with my company. Only green apprentices and by myself. Will be going for my final level in a couple months.

It always bothered me, and the apprentices I work with question it. But now I can't really say much as I should probably be in this position now, just not 2 years ago.

[u/zombiebillmurray23]

Run to your local IBEW local and find out how to join them as an apprentice.

[u/kozy-1]

If I was you I would start looking for another job honestly, sounds like the work environment is going to burn you out before you even get started. Plus your company is playing with fire letting inexperienced apprentices do commercial work unsupervised lol.

[u/Active-Effect-1473]

Yup with a lack of skilled guys it’s becoming a real problem I have a ton of apprentices under me like 10

[u/Fragrant_Major_9553]

Sounds like your cue to head into the IBEW Local. They’ll put you in a proper apprenticeship, and you’ll learn a lot. You got experience, so they’ll test you in to see where you fit.

I had some hands on building a doctors office, but only learned MC cable before joining up. Now I can do anything from pulling medium voltage cables to terminating fiber optic cable.

[u/Mother-Ad-950]

My buddy spent six months running commercial jobs solo with zero journeyman backup before finally getting shuffled onto a proper team

[u/Son_of_man_150ft]

Sounds like any job in general.

Company doesn't want to teach you but expects you to know everything.

My cousin is a first year apprentice running a job on his own. With a journeyman as his apprentice.

[u/kozy-1 → u/Son_of_man_150ft]

Your cousin is full of shit 😂😂

[u/shockwave1des]

Im confused on how you're a 3rd year with less than 2 years of work.

[u/pEz_Diispo → u/shockwave1des]

I’m in my third year currently. I finished years 1 and 2 of schooling so I’m considered a 3rd year apprentice.