Mechanic Apprenticeship

[know1edge]

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[Rat Fink]

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[Nigel Mansell]

Originally posted by Rat Fink
Honestly, if you go to class first for the 2 years and then find a shop to apprentice you......you are likely going to start out as a bitch anyways because you won't have as much hands on experience or work nearly as fast as someone who started out as a lube tech and worked their way up in the shop. You'll have the theory...whoopety doo since the other apprentices will have the theory as well and way more hands on experience.....and in reality way more exposure to the flat rate pay system that you will know very little about when you come out of school. That has been what I noticed with a few people I have encountered who have done the school thing first. They've come out of school expecting the red carpet treatment. I watched a school grad take 5 hours to do one valve cover gasket on a chev 350. uhhh...what? Guess what he was doing shortly after that?....you guessed it! All those fancy brand new snap-on wrenches were spinning oil pan drain plugs

Everybody has to do the bitch work to start out. I say find a shop to start you off as a lube tech, work your ass off to move up from there and you will be further ahead.

As far as Ford.....I am currently doing my apprenticeship through Ford. I don't know about anything that would make it faster than 4 years. I'm being fast tracked a bit because I have a bunch of hours worked at another place a few years back that my employer is willing to verify. Hoping to challenge my first year exam next week and possibly 2nd year exam shortly after that. (I'm sitting around 3600 hours or so at the moment).

You can only carry over 480 hours. Read the third page in your blue book. I know, I used to work at the Apprenticeship office.

[tomt64]

I would hand out resumes to all the dealers in your area of the city and stress to the service manager that you will do ANYTHING, you are willing to prove yourself and keen to learn.
I really would not do the 2 yr course at SAIT... at our place we have hired 2 of those guys in the past and they were just a joke. One of the guys was reading the instructions for the superglue one day :rofl:
Only 1 guy I know of has come out of that course and been able to work without asking a tonne of questions. [I apologize in advance if there is some smart cookies on beyond who have done that course :) ]
I did started from the bottom detailing and keep bugging my manager to start me as an apprentice and finally he did... I did shit jobs getting shit pay for 8 months. After all that I finally got signed on and got better pay.

Doing 8 weeks of school per year for 4 years is a lot more tolerable than doing 2 whole years for me, I hate sitting down. Not only that you can discuss with your fellow classmates wages, work conditions and anything else to see if you are in a good or not so good place.

In the meantime if you cant get work at a dealer, start working at a Midas or something similar and just get some hands on experience doing all kinds of different stuff: lube, tires, brakes, boots, "tune ups" etc.... it will do you more good than sitting and reading books.

You could end up not liking working on cars all day and prefer just to keep it a hobby, I have a few friends who decided to leave and work in other trades just for that reason alone.

Best of luck to you... :thumbsup:

[Rat Fink]

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[Nigel Mansell]

It doesn't matter. If you are registered in a compulsory trade, then you can only carry over 480 hours, period. I'm assuming you're in automotive service, not body work? Furthermore, you must have mailed in your notice of acceptance of apprenticeship and termination of apprenticeship within three months of being hired/fired with every employer in order for it count at all.

You must also attend school for at least one term of apprenticeship training, meaning that you can't simply challenge all your exams.

I should also mention, the most hours you can be credited towards your first year if you are re-applying to get into the trade is 600.

[know1edge]

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[Rat Fink]

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[crapstixs]

the dealer is not the end all be all. i have no idea why so many people want to go there. you have to fight for every job and every hour on your pay check just to be fucked over. ive worked for fountain tire for 6 years now, ive had the shit end of the stick a few times but nothing like the dealer.
do not go into the two year program, they should not even offer that. alot of people that go that way usally wash out very quick after school. i got a 10 min lecture from one for air hammering out a ball joint. i just laughed. he was fired after a week.
its a good trade, i love my job. i really enjoy going to work every day. the first few years are going to suck. like they would in any industry. your going to know oil and brooms very well. the best advice i can give you, is when you do get a job dont be lazy. allways be doing somthing or alest look busy. i find alot of just out of high school kids have a major problem in this department. know your place in the shit pile.