Learning The NEC Should be Encouraged!

“No one should work for these bad companies.”

I’ve worked for my fair share of bad electrical companies in the past, and you’ve probably had the misfortune of working for some as well. I put this episode together to expose a few of the Red Flags that we as electricians should avoid at all costs when looking for a company to work for. But I know that there is a reason we get mixed up with these kinds of companies, and why we stay so long. I think it has a lot to do with what we believe about ourselves and the electrical industry as a whole.

When we get stuck working for a sub-par company, I believe it says a lot about what we really think of ourselves, our skills, and our abilities. There’s a reason we stay with a company that doesn’t pay well, or that sits us down often, or maybe they always want us to do some shiesty or unsafe work. The reality is that when we think about leaving, we’re just worried that we might not measure up at another company. Or, we fear that we might not be smart or dedicated enough to pass that electrical exam that will open the doors to better opportunities. We doubt ourselves. It’s hard to accept, but for some of us, I think it’s important to come to terms with this and to start changing the way we think about ourselves. If you’ve been in the field for a few years, then just know that you have more than proven yourself. Trust me, you can get that cert, and you’ll do well working for one of the good companies.

After a while of working for bad company after bad company, we might start believing that this is just how the industry is, but that is far from the truth. There are a lot of great electrical companies out there, and they need hard-working, dedicated electricians like you. Companies that offer great pay, vacation time, holiday pay, retirement, career advancement, and much more. The IBEW is a great place to work for any electrician; aside from that, there are very well put-together non-union companies like Helix and Berg. Not all companies are bad to work for.

Don’t get stuck working for a bad company, jeopardizing your safety, the well-being of your family, and your financial future. Let’s take back our industry and quit benefiting these bad companies that do nothing but hurt our trade, fill their pockets, and keep electricians from growing and advancing in the trade.

Studying the NEC Should be Encouraged

I have the privilege of speaking with many people about their electrical careers, and there’s one common thread among those who struggle to get certified: They have little to no experience with the NEC. One might wonder how someone can go 5, 10, or 15 years in a trade and not know anything about the book their trade is dependent on? Why is this?

Studying the NEC is not encouraged on many job sites. In some cases, studying the NEC is discouraged. I remember as a young electrician being told that you only need to study the NEC when it’s time to get certified, because “we’re just installers” and we don’t use that stuff in the field. Looking back, I can see how detrimental that was for me to hear and to accept. I was put on a path where I would learn to install electrical material and equipment for four years, and then be expected to take an exam on a book I hardly picked up. - I think I’m starting to see the problem.

There’s a separation of code knowledge and field work. The reality in our craft is that we learn by example on the job. We don’t necessarily expect an apprentice to search the code book to figure out how to do his or her job; we teach them. So, it’s strange that after working for five plus years in the field, learning by example, we’re expected to take an exam on a book we’ve opened maybe a couple of times a year? Only a small part of the exam, at least here in California, is on things learned primarily on the job -maintenance, safety, and troubleshooting; the rest are primarily code book questions and equations. How do we remedy this issue?

Solution - Encourage the study of the NEC. For many electricians, their general electrical exam becomes the roadblock they weren’t prepared for, the killer of their confidence, the locked door of their future. They can install, run crews, possibly bid jobs… but they can’t navigate the book all their work is based on. I believe that we’ve accepted a culture in our industry that promotes non-participation in learning the NEC, and, in turn, we’ve built a system that sets electricians up to either fail or struggle to pass an exam they should otherwise breeze through. Every company, Foreman, and Journeyman should help to promote the study of the NEC on every job site. Ask questions to the apprentices and trainees about the tasks they’re doing, and encourage them to go and grab their code book to find the answers. The remedy doesn’t need to be hour-long classes every week or passing out sheets of practice questions - make it a challenge they want to accept. I guarantee you that if you give one question a week to the electricians working under you and ask them to bring you the Article and chapter. You will see that their understanding of the NEC will grow quickly, and this will better equip them for the exam and the career they have ahead.

Let’s change the “installer” mindset our industry has adopted!

The answer to last week’s newsletter code question:

c. wet

Found in Chapter 3 of the NEC: Wiring Methods and Materials.

Article 300.5(B)

Did you get it right??? Here’s another one.

This week’s codebook question:

When sizing junction boxes, device boxes, and pull boxes, the volume allowance required for each #12 AWG ungrounded and grounded conductor housed in the box shall be ____

a) 2.00

b)2.25

c)3.25

d)2.35

Guess what chapter it’s in, then go find it, and see how you did. I’ll give my answer in the next Newsletter!

→Visit the website for more resources←

Thanks for reading this issue and being a part of Plug Back Into The NEC

Until next time, Stay Plugged Into The NEC

Spotify l Apple Podcasts l Instagram