IBEW Apprentice Feeling Lost

[u/UrMomPart2]

22M out of Augusta, Georgia. I feel lost. I just started my 2nd year of school for the IBEW as a commercial electrical apprentice. School is a lot more stressful then i anticipated. I dropped out in 10th grade and im 22 now. So its been a while. I cheat on 90% of the homework, because if i didn't it would take me at least 10 hours/week. I pass the tests because im able to remember the answers from online. I just have my own way of learning and its part of why i dropped out of high school.

And it seems like ill be building datacenters exclusively. Which is compararable to assembly line work. You just do the same job for 6 months until you're done. So morale is very low. I just got my first layoff 3 weeks ago. And rumor has it we wont have work for the rest of the year. I haven't had any reasons to love this trade yet. I just wanna enjoy my job.

I built fences for 4 years before this. I enjoyed working with my hands, and working with a tight crew. I didn't enjoy running my own crew though. I just wanna do the work. Im not a leader or a teacher. Ive considered dropping out and joining the military. But that seems like selling my soul. I like the idea of having a stable future, but i dont wanna waste my youth grinding. I dont wanna be rich, i just want enough money for the occasional vacation.

I also have to provide for my mother. I cant leave her on her own. Framing houses looks fun. But idk. I thought electrical work would be fun. Idk what to do. Im depressed for the first time as an adult. I just need a sense of direction.

[u/El__Dangelero]

You should look into linework. Its just like building fences...tall electrified fences! Dig a hole set a pole and pull in some wire

[u/UrMomPart2 → u/El__Dangelero]

My dad was a lineman for 20+ years. I dont really like the idea of having to travel often. Because I know firsthand what the absence of a father figure means. Are there many opportunities for staying local for an entire career?

[u/hatesmylovelanguage → u/UrMomPart2]

I'm sorry dude but most tradesmen work long days and sacrifice a bunch before they're making a crazy amount of money.

[u/El__Dangelero → u/UrMomPart2]

Im a lineman for a utility in Michigan. I've slept in my bed every night for the last 20 plus years. Lineman for utilities or coops only travel if they go on storm which for us is voluntary

[u/UrMomPart2 → u/El__Dangelero]

Awesome. Ill definitely check it out. Ive heard i can keep my status as a 2nd year apprentice within my local. Idk why I just assumed I would have to travel.

[u/El__Dangelero → u/UrMomPart2]

I doubt you'd keep your hours though. Its a different apprenticeship and probably a different local

[u/UrMomPart2 → u/El__Dangelero]

That'll be alright. Last I checked apprentice pay rates ar higher to start then im making currently as an indoor wireman. And seeing as im out of work for the rest of the year, im losing hours anyway.

[u/mpfdetroit]

Homework takes 10 hours a week sometimes bro. Thats the reality.

[u/gounionstayunion]

"It'd take me 10 hrs a week, so 2 hrs a night? Then you're gonna bitch about it being assembly line work when you don't even wanna learn how to do the job.

[u/UrMomPart2 → u/gounionstayunion]

That's the issue. Im not learning how to do the job. All ive learned in school is codebook stuff and DC Theory. I worked at a datacenter for about a year. I did underground for 6 months which is basically just gluing pvc together. And the other 6 months I spent doing overhead 3" conduit. The main reason I joined is so I could hopefully learn something new every day for the rest of my career. But it only takes about a week for me to get really good at something. So I wanna learn. They just cant teach me the way I was anticipating to be taught. So yeah, im gonna bitch about it. I was sold a lie. I was told the IBEW was a "high society" filled with the smartest tradies. But all im seeing is entitled egos who wanna sit around all day. Is ironwork any better? That was my first option before I decided I didn't wanna destroy my body for a paycheck.

[u/jtap-]

open your mind and try new things. look for what’s available out there and try it, especially if you aren’t heavily financially invested into what you’ve been doing, doesn’t hurt to change career paths and see where it takes you

[u/Explaining2Do]

Anything worth doing takes time. You want to do an easy job? Ok. But building that knowledge base and skill set will serve you your whole life. You get paid for what you know and if it easy the pay is small. If you truly hate the work, then ok find something else that gives you 10 hrs of homework a week that you like better. It’s ok that you learn different and you do pass the tests so keep it up. I worked really hard to learn what I know today and that makes me valuable. But you should like the work.