DAY IN THE LIFE | Female Electrician Apprentice in Vancouver 

Thank you! I have luckily worked with a few awesome ladies who worked twice as hard as the boys.

@@LexElectric that’s because there boys not men. You can’t pick up a 4 inch 10ft rigid conduit by yourself and many other things.

@@aM-nc8ix who hurt you

@@LexElectric 💀

Heck yeah, that is fabulous! I am sure you will crush it.

Check out your local community cillege for trades discovery programs, thats how I started. And the highest I have worked is on a 10' ladder so not too bad!

Thank you for your suggestion! Maybe I will do a Q&A style if others are interested.

@@LexElectric Please do! Maybe a reality vs expectations as well?

Interested

Interested

Amazing! Best of luck 🤞

Thank you Shelagh!

That's so cool! I really enjoy random facts like this. Thank you, I now have a good story for the break room 🤣

@@LexElectric dont be too confident with it lol. It's just what I read on an electrical forum. Good job on your videos from IBEW 213

@@mattsz7313 hello fellow 213er! Thanks so much 😊

I've always wondered what bx stood for. I've asked a lot of fellow workers on the job and nobody ever had an answer. Thanks for the info.

That's so awesome! You're definitely not the only apprentice with string beans arms. Make sure to stretch and warm up before your shift. Keep a notebook handy and write down key things and tasks so you don't forget. Check out my other videos for tool demos and suggestions to get you more familiar with them. And you will make mistakes, but that's your job! Good luck.

Thank you!

Glad you enjoyed it!

Hey, I am planning to do my pre-apprenticeship as an electrician as well. How was your experience at the pre-apprenticeship so far?

Definitely important to have a car!

Hey! Check out my Q & A vid for some info.

Awesome suggestion! I will be filming something like that very soon.

Thank you for subscribing!

Hey Rachel! Thanks ☺️ I am not much bigger than you and I manage! Work on strength training (especially upper body) but also core and legs. Learn about the most efficient and safe ways to lift and you'll do great! And don't be afraid to ask for a hand in lifting heavy stuff like panels. As for harrassment, I am fairly lucky to have had no bad experiences. Keep the line between professional and personal very clear, and if anyone does bug you, write down date, time, incident, and save any screenshots.

@@LexElectric Awesome! Definitely sounds doable. Thank you so much for the tips and advice! :)

Haha! I said it once as a joke and it stuck!

Congrats! It's never too late. Wishing you the best of luck!

@@LexElectric Thank you.

Thank you Destiny! I figure if we talk about mental health the same way we talk about other types of illnesses, it makes it seem less scary and taboo. I will be making a trades related video very soon!

I was working at the construction site as an electrician, so I do understand about therapy cause working with all those male electrician is not easy.

Thanks Jay!

Thanks for that! I have a few more videos lined up, so stay tuned.

Thanks!

Very interesting! There is so many different trade names for things, and it seems to vary by region, too.

Hey Daniella! Most places do not hire without the foundations program, so good on you for doing it. I did mine at Camosun in Victoria. Check out grants for women in trades, I am sure BCIT staff can assist you.

I did second year at TRU! It is a great school. And no, doing the foundations is not a waste of time, many companies won't look at your resume if you don't have it. And practically speaking, it is good to gain knowledge before you start work. Look into women in trades and adult learning funding, it's never too late to learn!

Awesome! Thank you!

Thanks!

An apprenticeship is 4 years with total schooling of 40 weeks over that time. Common voltage used is 120/208 V 347 and up for more industrial stuff but anything over 600V is considered high voltage and can only be worked on by qualified electricians.

What province are you in? The BC Women in Trades Training center can help if you live here. There are also lots of grants and scholarships for women in the trades you should look into for your area. I had my foundations course covered by a women in trades grant program.

I'm gonna go with : nah

First step is getting a visa my friends!

I had the EXACT same issue when I was researching. They go on and on about what the boys should wear and then suggest heels and a skirt for girls. Heck nope. I would suggest wearing clean and rip free jeans, solid, polished boots (ie blundstones or combat style) and a nice ironed collared shirt. Rule of thumb is one level of formality above what the job is, so if you are looking clean and presentable, but still ready to get dirty, you should be fine! And I always wear my hair in a nice pony with minimal makeup for interviews. Best of luck!

@@LexElectric Oh my gosh. Thank you so much for the reply and input. It is so so so appreciated. I hate ripped jeans, love combat style boots, I always wear minimal make-up and love a clean cut pony! Just need to get myself a collared shirt. This is perfect. Thank you a thousand times!

@@jessicamanning8994 you're very welcome! Maybe I will make a video on what to wear next.

@@LexElectric definitely! Maybe even an array of the general differences of between being a woman VS. A man in the field. Or adjustments you've had to make due to differences. (If there are any) pros and cons of the gender differences? My instructor told me a pro for being a woman was that companies will call me within a week to hire me after putting my resume out because I'm in the minority. Con though is people and future coworkers not thinking I'll be able to pull my weight.

@@jessicamanning8994 I wouldn't always believe that is true. I had a lot of trouble getting hired at first because companies wouldn't want to "risk it". Just put your best self forward and work hard. You'll do great!

Thanks for the sub!

Company standard for this type of project

Ok. Just to me bx seemed excessive

@@electriciantv5174 could also be a regional thing. Where I am from its standard to use BX in steel stud residential.

Ugh that is the worst. Even in short sleeves it is so hot right now. I feel your pain!

Depends on the company! My current company takes in green apprentices to work in the pre fab shop before being sent out to a site, so that's why we have it. My last company just pulled BX as we went.

Back then my work day was 8-10 hours and I slept about 7-8 hours a night.

Hey! Thanks for commenting. That's so cool! I live in Canada, so not much info on Portland but I would recommend connecting with the IBEW local for that area. Good luck!

@@LexElectric Gotcha! Thanks for taking the time to reply.

School has a lot of trigonometry and electromagnetism theory, but on the job, you just have to be good at basic math.

The answer is no. I've been an electrician now for a little over 6 years. When Lexi says basic math, she quite literally means BASIC. Just basic ohms law is what you'll mostly be getting into if anything. This includes basic adding, subtracting, dividing, multiplying. Which really you won't be really applying any sort of math in the field anyways... Once you turn out and become a Journeyman and start working jobs on your own, all the math was already done and taken care of by a supervisor or someone up in the office or whoever went out to bid the job. After the job is approved, you'll be lined out on whatever task is at hand and the material and size wire needed and all of that was already calculated beforehand. The supervisor will just line you out on the job and you will go install it. So you don't have to be good at math to be an electrician. Maybe just simple adding and subtracting for when you are bending conduit or needing to know how long or short to make a pipe, easy stuff you will learn as an apprentice. Don't worry about it. Anyways you'll have 4 years as an apprentice before you can even become a Journeyman. Or you can just stay an apprentice... You'll have plenty of time to learn. Don't sweat it, good luck! Edit: Oh and school isn't required if you join a non-union company. You are required to attend electrical school if you join the union. Either option I would still do the schooling no matter what. 99% of the time it is payed for by your company.

@@DJayAce4 thank you so much for all of your advice and encouragement! I honestly thought I wouldn't be able to be a female electrician because of my gender and overall the technicality of the job, but now I see that I can give it a shot... Thank you so much!

@@DJayAce4 this is all stellar advice! One thing to note is it does vary by country. In Canada, you need to do school regardless of if you are union or not. And here, you pay for school on your own.

Doubt it

Very dependant on where you live. Where I live you take a foundations course for 6 months, then begin your apprenticeship, which means you alternate between work and school for four years to get your journey ticket.

Thanks! I live around Vancouver too and I'm thinking of being an electrician, so I guess I'll have to look for courses first.

@@rubavesingh2460 that's awesome! Check out ITA BC , they are the governing body of apprenticeships.

@@LexElectric Appreciate it🙏

I have no idea! Haha, I am still an apprentice and have only worked on residential so far. Maybe call the manufacturer?

I suppose your inverter generator is able to produce 4,500 watts? If so, it might not be able to handle the load of your portable AC unit because 14,000 BTUs are around 4,200 watts, so that’s around 90% of the wattage your inverter generator can produce which would be overworking it.

Maybe a good idea for a future video!

Yes I'm IBEW 213. I got in when it was very busy! So luckily it was a pretty easy and they were desperate for workers.

@@LexElectric Any advice on how to be competitive for the process? I recently applied and awaiting an interview. DId you go to college, volunteer?

Check out my Q and A video! I dive into that.

@@LexElectric im getting a electrical tecniques certificate in ontario and planning to move to bc. I Should be able to find a apprenticeship right?

Do a 6 month pre apprenticeship program, then try and get an apprenticeship. A 2 year diploma is not needed

This is actually a certificate and its called Construction Electrical .I hope it will help

Contact the local union in your area

Mam,I am from India

Me to electrical work in dubai

Now I'm aply visa Canada

Good luck!

Can you help

@@palvirk286 I don't know anything about the visa process. Start by researching government of Canada visa application.

6 month pre app, then 10 weeks every working year for 4 years in BC.

@@LexElectric was u getting paid while training

@@AJ_roadway Good question. In school, no, at work, yes. It varies depending on what country, province, company, etc. Look up your local training authority to learn more about apprenticeships in your area.

Thanks but I'm not hiring! I'm still an apprentice.

The Lower Mainland is very busy for apprentices right now! Where in Canada are you wanting to move? And where are you coming from?

@@LexElectric i have no idea at all, wherever i can find an apprenticeship really. Id be coming from the states below

Thank you!

Love my fans

Basic trig and fractions for measuring, school has more physics

@@LexElectric Do most electricians use a calculator while on the job?

@@chrislang6698 very seldom, only when your brain doesn't work and you can't divide fractions by 2

Anywhere from $12-$19 an hour depending if its union

@@LexElectric Is it true that a first year apprentice gets paid $21/hr and then their salaries increases each year?

@@Weston-tf5bl For union, that seems pretty on point (after you have done foundations and pre app) In my local you get a raise every six months. Check with the IBEW hall in your area for specifics.

@@LexElectric Sounds good. Do you have to be really good in Calculus and Physics to be an electrician? I really suck at those subjects lol.

@@Weston-tf5bl You do use basic trig and physics in school, but there are math upgrading courses you can take before you start electrical courses. On the job though you use basic math when using your tape measure, so knowing your fractions is helpful!

Thanks!

I have never been to India so I don't know how there system works. But in Canada, with that experience and education you could probably get an apprenticeship. The requirement here is foundation training or equivalent.

Thank you so much....💚 So do you have any website.? I mean how do I apply..?

@@paritoshbouri8673 ITA.bc.ca is good for BC apprenticeship. Anywhere else I am not sure.

Itabc.ca *

@@LexElectric do you have insta? I have 2 or 3 questions? So I can easily ask you...and then

Nah, it's who I am and was a big part of my life. I like to show that women can be feminine AND work in the trades.

@@LexElectric fair enough.....to that end what is a "fan guy", an electrician is an electrician. Motors are a big part of that fan or not.... "Edit" what I mean is, rather. I'm not sure how you Canadian's classify trade jobs. I live in Texas we do things a bit different I would reckon.

@@Robsemail001 good question! Likely still an electrician, but won the contract for all the fans for that building. Some sites in Canada can have several electrical companies, each doing a different job (ie. Fans, data, etc)

Thanks for the support!

Hey! Thanks for your comment. Super exciting that you are planning to move here! I would check with the ITA ( Industry Training Authority) They manage apprenticeships and certification in BC, so I am sure they will help point you in the right direction.

@@LexElectric probably I’ll go to Montreal, but thanks anyway.

@@thiagomaximiano1834 ah I see. Quebec is a whole other animal. Good luck!

If you like math and problem solving you should do it!

Lexi Redman ❤️For sure!

Right!? Yikes!

I had a tough time getting hired right out of school. The company that did hire me told me they usually don't hire women, so there is some discrimination. But I worked hard and proved them wrong.

It’s not discrimination, there are projects that have to be done by oneself sometimes and you have to be strong enough to do them, the truth is most women don’t make it in the rough-in stage, not by themselves, however some excel in the Trim stage. Good video though wish you the best in your career.

Thank you! Next weeks video I will get into that a bit more.

I thought the same thing! We all had a good laugh.

Thank you!

@lexielectric

More like ovaries of steel. Balls are pretty weak 😂

Thanks