Became a Union Member: August 2010
Apprenticeship Start Date: October 2012
BOMA Certification Date: June 2016
Apprenticeship Completion Date: December 2016
Q&A
Job Classification when I became a Union Member
Maintenance Attendant
Current Job Classification
Apprentice Engineer
What is the best thing about your Apprenticeship experience?
Noticing the incremental increase in knowledge with my peers and I over time collectively making us all more well rounded, confident, and a more noticeable valued asset with our engineering crews.
What has this apprenticeship meant to you? Your family?
Throughout the course of the last four years I am pleasantly surprised with how the formal education from the Apprenticeship along with the on the job training has molded me into the prestigious Certified Journeyman Engineer that I will become in the upcoming month. The camaraderie and networking with the instructors and fellow Apprentices is a attribute to the significance of the Apprenticeship program which means more to me in retrospect than i would of ever thought. The culmination of the dedication, sacrifice, and hard work throughout the last four years in the program has made my family and friends very proud of my accomplishments and career advancement.
Advice for new Apprentices.
The advice that I would give for new Apprentices would be to take the program seriously. There may become a point (which I was guilty of as well) where you become comfortable and don’t put out the same amount of effort towards the education as initially. Also, over time some people tend to develop a sense of entitlement as they acquire more knowledge throughout the program. Keep things in perspective and remember that there are others who would love to take your spot in the drop of a dime. What you put into the program is what you get out of it. Don’t take the opportunity for granted.
Advice for those considering Apprenticeship.
For those of you considering a future in the Apprenticeship please know that it takes hard work, dedication, and sacrifice and is not to be taken lightly. Many of you will wake up early, work hard all day, stay up late several nights a week attending class, and have to wake up early and do it all over again for the next four years. This will take a toll on you over time but will be well worth it in the long run. My advice is to be as fully aware as you can prior to committing to the four year program and gain as much experience as you can related to any building maintenance aspect (i.e. electrical, plumbing, HVAC, etc.) beforehand to have a good general idea of the maintenance and construction based knowledge of buildings.