Education - Craft Training
Core Skills
All ABC training begins with learning the core skills of the industry. However, before beginning your craft training, taking such high school courses as English, algebra, geometry, mechanical drawing and blueprint reading would be a great benefit.
At ABC, your craft training will begin with learning the core skills that provide the foundation needed to work for all the other crafts in the NCCER curriculum. These skills include: math, basic communication, introduction to blueprint reading, the proper use of power tools and especially safety. Once you've mastered the core skills, it's time to begin the courses related to your specific craft. All of the courses combine learning in the classroom with hands-on training and most will require a commitment to keep learning in the future-or what we call "lifelong learning." The following is a look at some of the most popular construction crafts across the country.
Electrical & Instrumentation
Electricians bring the power to our homes and workplaces. In the industrial environment, instrumentation equipment has become more electronics-based and instrumentation technicians share some of the same roles and responsibilities as traditional electricians. Both often work on the calibration of equipment and are responsible for the wiring that runs between the control room and the field. ABC electrical and instrumentation involves two to four years of training and may also include apprenticeship programs. This training includes working from blueprints and installation of high voltage electronics, as well as low voltage systems for video, fiber optics and DSL lines. You will also learn about strict safety precautions, and how to follow national, state, and local electric codes. You should also be prepared for lifelong learning to keep up with constantly changing technology. Electricians and instrument techs work basically anywhere electricity is needed and help create all the automation that saves man-hours and makes work a lot easier.
HVAC
HVAC stands for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning. It includes the installation, maintenance and repair of the systems that control temperature, humidity and total air quality in residential, commercial and industrial buildings. In the industrial sector, an HVAC technician might also handle large cooling systems and chillers that regulate the temperature of chemicals in the manufacturing process. HVAC classes entail three to five years of formal and informal training. With ABC training you will learn basic electronics, wiring, and the proper installation and operation of HVAC systems. This is another field where technology changes fast and you must be committed to lifelong learning. HVAC technicians work in both the residential, commercial and industrial sectors. It's because of them our buildings are comfortable in regard to temperature, humidity and air quality.
Welding
Welding is the most common form of bonding metal parts together through electric arc, gas arc, heat and pressure, and others. ABC training for a welder can range from a few weeks for low-skill positions to two or three years for highly skilled welding jobs. Welders will learn blueprint reading as well as basic physics, chemistry and metallurgy. Welders that plan to work in fabrications shops will receive computer training because much of this process is automated. Welders must continuously learn how to bond new metals and materials including plastics and new alloys. As a welder, you could work in a variety of capacities: building bridges, buildings, and structures or joining pipes in pipelines, plants and refineries. This craft is extremely important and one of the backbones of the construction industry.
Heavy Equipment Operator (Excavation)
The construction industry is full of big jobs that call for big equipment. That means highly skilled men and women are needed to use this equipment to move dirt, rocks, and other materials to build foundations and highways, dig trenches, lay pipelines, and hoist heavy construction materials. Today's modern equipment is technologically advanced with computerized control and electronics that make these machines extremely complicated. ABC's specialized heavy equipment and excavation courses consist of two to three years of training. Through this training you'll learn not only how to operate equipment ranging from small excavators and skid loaders to large bulldozers and cranes, but also how to sight-judge the density of the materials handled. You'll also learn how to follow safety practices and procedures and must be committed to keeping up with modern equipment changes and updates in technology. As a Heavy Equipment Operator, you could work in residential, commercial, or industrial areas and you will most likely work outside in all weather and climate conditions. Some people choose to specialize in one family of equipment while others choose a variety of them. In construction, all jobs start at dirt level, so there's always a need for highly skilled heavy equipment operators.
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