And Home Inspectors Complain About 80 to 100 Hours

[hausdok]

All home inspectors that are complaining because they are in licensed states and are being required to get somewhere between 40 and 120 hours of training, and perhaps must spend a week doing inspections with a more experienced inspector and then sit for the NHIE, need to read this for a reality check and thank their lucky stars they aren't trying to get into the electrical field in the State of Michigan.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Marc]

Electrical curriculums offered by Vo-Tech schools in Louisiana range from 885 to 1365 hours, which, to me, is still modest.

My point of contention and aggravation with programs such as this one by the Michigan EAB is that it results in more doors being shut in the face of the handicapped. I've been a deaf man for 49 years. I can and have gotten accepted into many schools at various levels with no prejudice against my deafness, but prejudice against the deaf among employers is so high that 60% of us are unemployed. This figure is from years ago before the economic downturn. It's likely worse now. The 40% that's working is employed mostly either in government jobs or self employed.

What this EAB program does is practically eliminate the chances of a deaf resident of Michigan from getting an education AND a job in the electrical trades. Prior to this program, he could get training at a regular school then go into business for himself to achieve employment which is what I've had to do for most of my life.

The deaf are a silent minority. It's easy to ignore them and their difficulties in coping with a predominately hearing world.

Marc

[kurt]

Valid point; lottsa problems with educational programs shutting out disabled. Lottsa problems.

But, how does this program specifically exclude the hearing disabled? I read the blurb, but didn't see where deaf folks are excluded.

[Marc]

Being a deaf person doesn't make one an attractive prospective employee to an electrical contractor or to anyone in particular. On the contrary, we are categorically and quietly omitted as eligible employees as far as the vast majority of contractors are concerned.

Marc

[Marc]

For 2 years following my graduation from college with a degree in electrical engineering, I crossed the USA along the south, from Florida to CA and back and forth. I can count the interviews that I got on the fingers of one hand. Last one, before I gave up, was for an entry level technical position with the local utility. Unemployment was high at that time and about 60 people were testing for that one position. I lied on that application for the first and only time. I answered 'no' to the question regarding the presence of any handicaps. My wife received a call from them the next day asking for me to come by their office. A formal letter arrived the following day, I was among the top 3 scorers. I was in their office for no more than 60 seconds. They said that sometimes, an employee has to make a phone call and I couldn't do it. They didn't want any more to do with me.

One more fact...When I graduated, I was only the third deaf person to graduate from that curriculum in the 18 year history of the only technical college for the deaf in the USA. My own research revealed that the attrition rate for hearing students in that curriculum was 50%. For the deaf, it was between 98 and 99%.

It still surprises me, knocks me out sometimes, but those are the facts.

Marc

Now, I'm going to quit hijacking Mike's thread. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, of course.

[Jim Morrison]

I didn't bother to read the original post or any of the responses, but any estimate of HI's complaining for fewer than 200 hours at a time seem woefully underestimated to me.