Online Classes Are Replacing In-Person Instruction
Let’s face it, nowadays we’re proving as a society that we can learn remotely. Our civilization has invented a way for almost anything to be accessible on the internet. Many people work from home, order food that’s delivered to their doorsteps, and even get their degrees online. Why should educating for the skilled trades be any different?
The skilled trades are definitely learned the best out in the field, on the job, over years of practice. There’s simply no substitute for tools in hands. However, the majority of electricians in America acquire vastly different work experience, and therefore a largely differing quality of education. Usually, an apprentice is just thrown in the truck with whoever needs help for the day, and quite often the person in charge resembles a practiced material installer, more than they do a Journeyman electrician. This is quite common actually. Many electricians have no educational opportunities available to them for learning more about their craft, their trade, or the materials and methods they use every day. A lot of the time electricians don’t know what they don’t know, and they simply try to figure things out as they go. This is not always a bad thing, however, it could be a detriment to the helpers and other Journeymen on a job site if that job lead is doing substandard work, or doing incorrect/dangerous work rather than admitting to anyone they don’t know what they’re doing.
It would be amazing if every electrician cared to really push themselves to know more, do more, and care more. But this is unrealistic. A lot of people just don’t care, and they simply want to show up to the same job every day and earn the same paycheck every week. They may not want to answer questions, teach, or study to get themselves further in their careers. Unfortunately, a lot of these same people are running crews and in charge of training apprentices, which can translate into their apprentices becoming teachers who also don’t care because it’s how they were brought up.
It doesn’t have to be like this anymore. There are educational opportunities online where people can put themselves through self-paced courses, live classes, online seminars, and much more. Those who really do want to further themselves in their craft, and learn more regardless of who they workaround, have ample opportunity to do so online. Electrician U is an entire school for electricians that’s based online. Our members have access to live instructor-led classes where you can get into an online environment with an instructor and other students and you can ask questions, and get tutoring on the things you don’t understand. Whether it’s code you struggle with, calculations, electrical theory, or just figuring out how to use your multimeter to test circuits, Electrician U’s live classes can help you gain an edge in the field.
