We spoke with Mott Electric third year apprentice Yoni about his time as an electrician and some of the experiences he’s had in his electrical career to date.
What’s your name and where are you from?
My name is Yoni, I’m from the Lower mainland in Richmond and I work for Mott Electric as an electrician.
What are a couple things that you do on a daily basis as an electrician?On a typical day I will do some cable pulls, installation work, device work; if you need power somewhere, I’ll be doing something to help make that happen.
What is the best feeling you get from your job?
Definitely when you turn the power on and everything works, that’s the best feeling for sure.
What were you interested in growing up?
Growing up I was interested in working with my hands. I was interested in the engineering side of things, but honestly, you can make a very good living working as an electrician. You don’t have to sit at a desk all day and that swayed me to go down this avenue as an electrician. After I started working, I really enjoyed it and I stayed on and here I am.
What’s the learning process like as an electrical apprentice?
The learning process starts when you go to school for about 25 weeks. You become a first level apprentice and then you go and receive some work experience and start getting paid. Then, you work for about a year before returning to go to school for 10 weeks. This process essentially repeats itself until you complete year four of your apprenticeship and you’re a certified electrician.
Do you ever run into situations where you need to problem solve or are unsure what to do?
You’re always going to run into situations where you don’t know what to do and need to reach out for guidance. The thing to do is to get help. Talk to your foreman, site managers and find the best way to move forward, or talk to your fellow electricians and you’ll find a way to get it done!
What does the future look like for you?
Within a year I will be earning my Red Seal certification and after that I will be able to take on greater responsibility for running jobs.
