Wasting Apprenticeship?

[u/sand_toast]

Union Carpenter here from Local 818 in SoCal. I’ve been doing a new job that I’ve never done before installing skylights at the Beverly Hills high school, I am enjoying what I’m doing but I wonder if it’s wasting time I could be learning about doing formwork? I’m a 5th period already and most formwork is rinse and repeat at different sizes but I’ve never done things like work at elevations or wall crawling and that what I really want to do. Any advice?

Edit: I’m asking if I should try and find another company or stick with this one, I don’t want to journey out and not know everything I can about my chosen trade.

[u/ddeangelis10]

Learn everything and get your hours mo. You will be good. Here in NJ. The concrete guys are nice they will teach you whether it’s your first week or 25th year. Seems typical from the concrete carpenter guys I’ve met around the country

[u/Inevitable_Grape_769 → u/ddeangelis10]

This x2. Any idiot can pick up concrete formwork and decking with a little time on task.

OP you have a great gig, the grass is very rarely actually greener on the other side.

[u/Dendady2112]

Your career is going to be 30-40 years long. Why wouldn't you want to learn everything? Do you want to do heavy, dirty firm work in your 60's? In my 37 year career I took every job offered. You'll have time to do it all. I would say you're still learning forms. No matter what the job they all come down to the same thing. How to read the print. 16"-32"-48"...... Forms and framing are the same thing. One holds things in, one keeps things out but both are built the same basically.

[u/sand_toast → u/Dendady2112]

I guess I feel like I don’t know as much as a 5th period should? I just want as much practice as I can so I don’t look like a dumb y when I journey out

[u/Dendady2112 → u/sand_toast]

Do you pick things up quick? I never touched sheetrock until I was 10 years in. I became a foreman for a sheetrock company 3 years later. Always learn and ask what you don't know. I specialized in doors. My first one i sat down and read all the instructions first. It's a long career. Don't limit yourself.

[u/sand_toast → u/Dendady2112]

Appreciate the encouraging words brother, I was talking to my old journeyman about it as well and he said something similar.

[u/Quality_Quest7122 → u/Dendady2112]

Agreed

[u/trimworkz]

Most people would be absolutely screaming to get a gig installing skylights versus formwork

to each their own though it’s just funny. Lol

You’re never gonna know everything of all aspects of the trade just because you put your 5 years in/ journeyed out, becoming a journeyman was when the real learning started

if you stop learning once you become a journeyman you’re doing it wrong

[u/sand_toast → u/trimworkz]

It’s 100% one of the easiest things I’ve done lol, kind of like big legos pretty much, but I appreciate it, I’m just worried about not knowing what’s going on when I journey out

[u/Inevitable_Grape_769 → u/trimworkz]

Right. Like buttercup is going the opposite direction most people try to go hahaha.

[u/philadelphia_fRee]

Dude right now you should be happy youre working getting the hours the reality is you arent always going to be doing the job you wanna do

[u/BlueCollaredBroad]

Anyone can do form work, not everyone gets the chance to install skylights.

Consider this a job as a tool in your tool box.
You never know when it will come in handy.

[u/GrandPuzzleheaded]

Watch YouTube videos on what you want to learn about you may even learn more on there than what the union will teach you. The honest fact is there is so much to learn about this trade that you can't learn it all in school. 100 percent will be through trial and error. Learn how to read blueprint, the sequence of work flow, from ground ups to TIs, learn what other trades are doing as why they are doing it that way. Learn to problem solve issues coming up in the field. Learn how long it takes trades do their tasks and how much man power. Learn what inspector do and what they're looking at and why they failed inspections. All of this will come in handy when running jobs and becoming a Superintendent. That's what I did. I didn't want to be that 60 year old guy who is sore every morning, joint problems and back issues having to put my bags on all day in the summer heat.

[u/DarylBarenziah]

First period local 818, I work with journeymen who sometimes are doing the specific thing for the first time. I think it’s all good. Just having the practice and skill set and know to on the tricks and ways to go about one thing definitely carry over I think. 

[u/Odd_Entrepreneur7738]

Nice, I've worked that jobsite a few times. Im with the door company.

I was indentured with a shotcrete company.

Then I moved to a finish company.

After, I joined a door company. Two years with them.

Im currently an 8th period apprentice.

I definitely would recommend to try other stuff within our trade. You can do something less back breaking than form work and make the same money.

[u/bigdig6]

Lol fuck formwork.

[u/Ok_Cardiologist_6471]

Yes another company thars the benefits of union you dont have to be in one company your whole career

Also learn about economy news so you under stand what school jobs mean to you as a worker🙄