On the road again! I just got transferred to Dyna for the third year of my apprenticeship. Honestly, I still get a little nervous whenever I start a new job, or go to a new job site. Luckily,I'm working with a good bunch, so settling in was easy.
I wish that I had exciting stories about the work I've done at Dyna so far, but, I don't, and that's not really a bad thing. What is exciting (at least to me) is Dyna's SERIOUS commitment to safety. During my first week with them, I was paid to sit through about nine hours of various safety classes and training. While they might not have been thrilling, it's a good feeling to know that there are people working to ENSURE that everyone leaves the job site in the same condition that they arrived. On the other hand, sometimes it's really uncomfortable to wear a hard hat, gloves and safety glasses for eight hours. BUT- Clark Construction and Dynalectric make it easy. Do it, or go home. Speaking only for myself, sometimes I need to be saved from myself. I always forget that I don't know everything until it's too late! I didn't need that stupid hard hat, until I rammed my head into a piece of rod in a ceiling. OOOUUUCCCHHH! Sometimes, on a quiet night, you can still hear my cries. So, maybe it is a good thing to have mandatory protective equipment use. Some men are born safe, and some have safety thrust upon them.
Anyway, after all of my safety classes and such, I met my foreman, and got a quick tour of the site. The first question I was asked was, "Are you good at running pipe?". Boy o' boy did I drop the ball on that one. My only answer should have been HELL YEAH, but what came out of my mouth was,"I can do it, but I don't know if I'm GOOD at it.". All I saw in the building up to that point were three and four inch pipe, which intimidated me. Maybe my answer to that question is why I'm hanging lights and pulling wire. I can tell you for sure that I won't make a stupid mistake like that again. Hopefully my foreman will see that I work hard and that I'm conscientious in every task that I do.
Well that's it for today, I've got to study for this #%**@!# test on Thursday. Have a good week all!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
HELLO 26 !
Hello to all my IBEW brothers and sisters! My name is Greg Nicolas, I'm a second,almost third year apprentice. Hopefully I will be able to give anyone who's interested a realistic idea of the JATC apprenticeship.
First things first! I would like (need) to thank some people who helped me get here. My good friend, brother John Voden, who encouraged and convinced me to apply to the program. Brothers Rick Jackson and Dwyane Ladd at Heller Electric, who took the time to teach a VERY green rookie. Brother Mark Thompson-thanks for always showing me the bright side and just for being contagiously up-beat when I was feeling beat-up. I definately need to thank all of the insructors at the Lanham hall for the experience and knowledge that I'm actually getting paid to take! I'll need just one second to wipe this brown stuff off my nose. Last, and ABSOLUTELY LEAST, thank you to the few foreman who thought I wouldn't make it this far. Thank you for treating me as a sub-human. Thank you for not having the will or drive to teach, because you are one of my strongest motivations to succeed. You will be the subject of my first toast at my graduation. Surely I could go on with the thanks and what not for days, so let me just say that in my time in this union, I have met and worked with many, many fine people, thanks to all.
Before I became an apprentice, I was a journeyman meat cutter in local 400. After ten years of working retail hours and topping out a few dollars over scale, I realized that the opportunities for advancement were limited. When I learned about the apprenticeship(and A journeyman wages), everything became crystal clear. The only thing that kept me from making a change, was my fear of change. It was scary for me to think of leaving the comfort of a good paying job that I was very good at. But, with the support of my family and friends(thanks again John), I went from being the big fish in a little pond, to a tiny bottom feeder in the deep blue sea.
Well, I'm two full years in now, and I'm getting better every day. Alot of the pieces are fitting together, and things are starting to make alot more sense. What do ya' know, the program works! I just wish that I started this work a long time ago. All Ihave to do from here on out is learn and earn, no sweat.
Please tune in for the next episode where we'll learn about my school and work experience up to this point. Good-night.
First things first! I would like (need) to thank some people who helped me get here. My good friend, brother John Voden, who encouraged and convinced me to apply to the program. Brothers Rick Jackson and Dwyane Ladd at Heller Electric, who took the time to teach a VERY green rookie. Brother Mark Thompson-thanks for always showing me the bright side and just for being contagiously up-beat when I was feeling beat-up. I definately need to thank all of the insructors at the Lanham hall for the experience and knowledge that I'm actually getting paid to take! I'll need just one second to wipe this brown stuff off my nose. Last, and ABSOLUTELY LEAST, thank you to the few foreman who thought I wouldn't make it this far. Thank you for treating me as a sub-human. Thank you for not having the will or drive to teach, because you are one of my strongest motivations to succeed. You will be the subject of my first toast at my graduation. Surely I could go on with the thanks and what not for days, so let me just say that in my time in this union, I have met and worked with many, many fine people, thanks to all.
Before I became an apprentice, I was a journeyman meat cutter in local 400. After ten years of working retail hours and topping out a few dollars over scale, I realized that the opportunities for advancement were limited. When I learned about the apprenticeship(and A journeyman wages), everything became crystal clear. The only thing that kept me from making a change, was my fear of change. It was scary for me to think of leaving the comfort of a good paying job that I was very good at. But, with the support of my family and friends(thanks again John), I went from being the big fish in a little pond, to a tiny bottom feeder in the deep blue sea.
Well, I'm two full years in now, and I'm getting better every day. Alot of the pieces are fitting together, and things are starting to make alot more sense. What do ya' know, the program works! I just wish that I started this work a long time ago. All Ihave to do from here on out is learn and earn, no sweat.
Please tune in for the next episode where we'll learn about my school and work experience up to this point. Good-night.
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