Levels 1 through 3 head to our Holiday Break!
Our first-year apprentices have just completed the two most important modules in
Level 1, Electrical Theory and Introduction to Electrical Circuits. These modules lay the foundation for a career as an electrician. Apprentices have learned to draw and wire basic DC control circuits and understand the fundamentals of how electrons move with an electrical circuit. Our curriculum covers Conventional Flow Theory, Electron Flow Theory, resistors in series and in parallel, calculating total resistance, and voltage drop in series, parallel, and series-parallel circuits. Much of our focus during these modules is on hands-on training. Apprentices first must draw a required circuit and then successfully wire the circuit on our Dubak U specific training boards. These circuits range in difficulty and challenge apprentices to determine how make simple control devices work in coordination together. Level 1 returns after the holidays where we begin our introduction the National Electric Code. The NEC is the standard for electrical installations and apprentices will begin the challenge of learning to navigate the code to determine the requirements for various installations. Along with Electrical Theory, navigating the NEC is one of the most important skills for talented electricians.
Level 2 has successfully completed modules on AC Theory, Motor Theory and Applications, Electric Lighting, and a refresher on sizing pull boxes and installing conduit bodies. AC Theory and Motor Theory are two of the toughest modules in the entire curriculum and our second-year class has successfully completed all requirements for these modules. Apprentices worked on selecting and wiring motors for various applications and understand the principles that allow AC and DC motors to do the work they do in the field. Up next is Advanced Bending and Grounding and Bonding. For Advanced Bending, apprentices will polish their skills with the 555 electric bender for conduit up to 2” and use the 881 hydraulic bender for conduit up to 4”. Conduit bending is an artform and our Advanced Bending class is designed to take the skills our apprentices have learned in the field and the lab over the past eighteen months to the next level. By the time Dubak U apprentices complete Level Two, many are already approaching journey-level skill with a bender. Grounding and Bonding is one of the most misunderstood articles in the NEC. The goal for Level Two is for apprentices to understand the purpose, the function, and the installation of the grounding system. Apprentices will learn the theory in the classroom, perform a complete installation of a grounding system in the lab, and be able to navigate Article 250 in the NEC to ensure the proper installation of grounded systems.
Our third-year apprentices have completed the first five modules of Level Three. The past two months have focused on Hazardous Locations, Distribution Equipment, and our motor controls refresher. As an industrial electrical contractor, Dubak Electrical Group works in hazardous locations regularly. Our apprentices understand the classifications and requirements for installations in the locations where electrical failures could result in explosions. Classes and lab time focused on the installation of and required locations for conduit seals. Apprentices were all required to properly pack and pour a sealing fitting, ensuring that an electrical system is safe from hazardous environments. Our Distribution Equipment module focused on switchboards, switchgear, panelboards, and the requirements for their installation; and included metering, relaying, and instrumentation, ground fault detection, and medium voltage distribution equipment. In our controls refresher, apprentices recapped drawing and wiring simple control circuits, relays, and pilot devices. In addition, apprentices learned about limit switches and 24V control devices. The refresher leads into our Level Three controls class where we introduce timer relays and proximity sensors and put all covered devices to work in complicated control circuits. Dubak U controls class was created by our instructors to give apprentices a top-level understanding of control systems and to give them the knowledge and skills to install, troubleshoot, and maintain these systems. An excellent grasp of control systems is what separates best-in-class electricians from everyone else.
Congratulations, all, on a successful first half. Enjoy your break, Happy Holidays, and we’ll see you in January!
Written By: Jason Miller, Lead Instructor
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