ETCP-Certified...
- Thread starterjongaduet
- Start date
Hey Nat,
ETCP is not a stamp of approval that you have completed some course work and are ready to begin doing a job (like a driver's license). It is a certification that you have years of experience and are already a master of doing your job (more like completing your work as a journeyman electrician). I see in your bio that you are 19. IF you were able to find someone willing to hire you to do rigging... which in itself is a difficult task. It will take you many years of full time rigging work until you are able to get ETCP certified.
So how do you get started becoming a rigger? Well that's a difficult question to answer. College is a good start. Contacting that local staging company couldn't hurt. Get some training in rock climbing would be good. Take a course like those offered by Jay Glerum. All are good starts. It's a very touchy area because it's so dangerous. There are very few places that you can take a class to become a rigger... and even if you did you would still need years of work to prove you know anything... which is the reason for ETCP certification. What you have to do is put enough small pieces together on your resume until someone will hire you and train you for real.
If I remember right this is what CB member What Rigger? told me about his path to becoming a rigger. He worked a variety of small rigging gigs and took all the basic training he could find. I believe he did a bunch of training with Ropeworks and maybe the Glerum class. Eventually he was able to impress one of the major entertainment rigging companies and got a job there. They then trained him their way to do the really dangerous stuff. Sadly there is no one clear path. You've just got to keep pushing. Moving to LA, Vegas, or NY would make things easier.
I am an arena rigger and am working on getting my certification. I will probably get both my rigging and electrical certifications. I need to look at the types of questions on the electrical test, I'm an electrician and am very familar in arena type electrial situations but many times tests like this get into more theory than what we actually do.
So, looking at the information provided what is the difference between electrical experience, the internship and the apprentice programs?
Here's my experince.
I have a BA in theater arts which should be 7 points.
I work with my local in Charlotte N.C. ( a right to work state )
I have 500 plus hours with my local but I am not a card holder.
I also work for a community college as a M.E./ LD.
Using my Union standard for hours, ($15 dollars = 1 hour)
I have over 2,000 credit hours which includes design work, but not all of that is recognized by my Local since there is a 150 day gap clause ( If you stop working for 150 days at a time you lose your hours, I had to to finish college, also my Union doesn't recognize design work.)
I also worked construction for a year as an Industrial Electrician, and as a Control Electrician (HVAC) I am very interested in becoming certified but I haven't met anyone outside of this forum who has ever mentioned ETCP. Am I the type of person who should be taking this test? looking at the break down, I might have something close to the 30 hours required. But I'm not sure, can someone enlighten me? How does this work, do they contact you for jobs like the Union does? Are there Dues? I'm sorry I know so little about this but I am very interested in learning more. This looks like the thread to do so in.
-Adam
Here's my experince.
I have a BA in theater arts which should be 7 points.
I work with my local in Charlotte N.C. ( a right to work state )
I have 500 plus hours with my local but I am not a card holder.
I also work for a community college as a M.E./ LD.
Using my Union standard for hours, ($15 dollars = 1 hour)
I have over 2,000 credit hours which includes design work, but not all of that is recognized by my Local since there is a 150 day gap clause ( If you stop working for 150 days at a time you lose your hours, I had to to finish college, also my Union doesn't recognize design work.)
I also worked construction for a year as an Industrial Electrician, and as a Control Electrician (HVAC) I am very interested in becoming certified but I haven't met anyone outside of this forum who has ever mentioned ETCP. Am I the type of person who should be taking this test? looking at the break down, I might have something close to the 30 hours required. But I'm not sure, can someone enlighten me? How does this work, do they contact you for jobs like the Union does? Are there Dues? I'm sorry I know so little about this but I am very interested in learning more. This looks like the thread to do so in.
-Adam
STEVETERRY
Well-Known Member
You should definitely take the exam. You seem to have the work experience, and it's a great diversity of job types. Just be honest on the application about your hours, and name a supervisor who can verify the hours, if one is available.
ST
For those who think they qualify, but are unsure of their skills,
ETCP LAUNCHES WEB-BASED PRACTICE EXAMS.
Only $35 to take a fifty question practice exam in the comfort of one's home. Upon completion, pass or fail, one will have a better idea of where they stand.
ETCP LAUNCHES WEB-BASED PRACTICE EXAMS.
Only $35 to take a fifty question practice exam in the comfort of one's home. Upon completion, pass or fail, one will have a better idea of where they stand.
As Derek pointed out practice exams are now available so getting a feel for the test is easy enough now.
One thing I've heard is that the test isn't designed to trick you or be ridiculously complicated. It's there to find out if you really know your stuff. If you TRULY are qualified to take the test and have actually earned all the points, you shouldn't have that hard of a time passing the test.
What I found, particularly in the Entertainment Electrician test, was the vast amount of material covered in the questions. Although I studied some subjects that I thought that I needed a refresher in, I found myself going back to real life experiences on jobs that I had done a few years back for many questions. Like in real life, it is helpful to trust your common sense.
As someone who generally does not do well on tests, I agree that taking the test at the AMP testing center is helpful. It is quiet, the folks there helpful and used to stressed out people taking tests, and one gets the results instantly. For me, it would stress me out for the whole time if I took the test at USITT or LDI.
Like it was mentioned before, only the folks at ESTA knew I was taking the test-
~ I would just show up for work with another certificate, suitable for framing. My 2 cents,
Mark O
ETCP Rigger A/T
ETCP Entertainment Electrician
Welcome, Mark!
By my calculations, you're our fifth admitted Certified-Technician, first rigger in either category, and one of a handful of "triple threats" in the country. Stop by the New Member Board and start a thread introducing yourself.
By my calculations, you're our fifth admitted Certified-Technician, first rigger in either category, and one of a handful of "triple threats" in the country. Stop by the New Member Board and start a thread introducing yourself.
