WESTERN BURGLAR & FIRE

ALARM ASSOCIATION

UNILATERAL APPRENTICESHIP

& TRAINING COMMITTEE

WBFAA Apprenticeship

Program Affirmed

by California Apprenticeship Council

The California Apprenticeship Council (CAC) rejected a complaint filed against the Chief of the Division of Apprenticeship Standards challenging his approval of the WBFAA Apprenticeship Program for Fire/Life Safety Technicians. The rejection of the complaint affirms the WBFAA program, the first apprenticeship program that has statewide jurisdiction. The decision of the subcommittee who reviewed the complaint was 2-1 to reject it, and the CAC vote was unanimous except for one abstention.

“We appreciate the consideration that the members of the CAC gave to our program and the unanimous support which will allow us to continue to develop a program that will serve the citizens of California,” said George Gunning, President of the WBFAA.”  The WBFAA program was approved in January, 2003 and the appeal was one of the final obstacles.

The WBFAA launched their program in 2003 with companies who are members of the California Automatic Fire Alarm Association and California Alarm Association.  The program provides a three-year apprenticeship program with 535 hours of classroom instruction and 6,000 hours of on-the-job training.  In addition to training current apprentices and providing on-going educational support for journeymen, the WBFAA will be conducting outreach programs to recruit new employees to the Fire/Life Safety profession.

For information on the WBFAA Unilateral Apprenticeship and Training program, contact the WBFAA at 800/809-0280.

Certification Applications Available Now

The application forms for the electrician's certification examination are now available at WWW.DIR.CA.GOV/DAS and at seven DAS offices in California.  The fee for the test is $75 for the application plus $100 for each type of certification requested (General Electrician, Residential Electrician, Fire/Life Safety Technician).  Applications are being accepted now and the first test dates are expected to be in late March or April.  The WBFAA will be offering tutorial courses to journeymen (those with 4,000 or more hours of field work) to help them prepare for the test.

 WBFAA Administrative Office Established
 The WBFAA has established a new administrative office. Please contact the WBFAA office for information.
 WBFAA
 333 Washingotn Blvd #433
 Marina del Rey, CA 90292
 800/809-0280 FAX 800/809-0281
  

By Doug Shackley
The members on the WBFAA Board of Directors deserve a big pat on the back because in the last three years they have done something that many didn't think could happen, which was to get an apprenticeship program that didn't exist put together and approved by the state.

I know that the establishment of our industries own prevailing wage is going to be the best thing that has happened to our industry, second only to the trained labor pool that we are going to create. Besides the passage and signing of AB 931 that created the electrician certification, AB 975 has also been passed and signed and will increase the number of prevailing wage jobs within the state greatly.

We are an association of our members from two other associations, and our members must know that if they are going to be part of this program they are going to have to play by the rules and pay into the trust fund the correct amount for each one of their employees. In other words, "Put up or shut up." Payments are going to have to be real, based on real employee figures, not just some figures that are used to save money.

To many people, it is going to seem unfair that you have to pay for employees that are already journeymen, but that is a fact of life with any apprenticeship program. If our members are going to report things other than what they truly are our program will suffer, and the benefits to our industry will be diminished.
I understand that for those that are not used to reporting, thoughts are likely to occur like:

1. If I don't report this person, I am going to save $25 per month.
   
2. hese people won't be actually making connections at 100 VA or better, so I don't have to include these employees.
   
3. I am not doing any fire alarm work this month, so I don't have to report anyone.
   
4. Who is going to catch or make me do this?
   

Knowing our industry and having worked in both the security and fire alarm industries, I know that both the large and small firms are going to say "but those rules do not apply to me." I know that many of our members do not really want this extra level of bureaucracy, but it is state law and it is not going to go away. We are going to have to make our presently planned program work with ample funding and support and agree to all of the bureaucracy that comes with it or we are going to have two choices:

1. Get out of the commercial fire alarm business before some AHJ catches us working without a state-licensed journeyman.
2. Become a part of a union group if your company is not already a part of an agreement.

WBFAA's rates are going to be $25 per month for a total payment of $300 per year or almost ¼ of the amount now being paid by the people in our industry who are parties of a collective agreement. The benefits of the program go well beyond an apprenticeship program that will attract a labor force and produce a well-trained journeyman, but its success will depend on the full participation and support of the members of the California Alarm Association and California Automatic Fire Alarm Association.

Doug Shackley of Pacific Auxiliary Fire Alarm Company and is a member of the Board of Directors of the WBFAA Uniteral Apprenticeship and Training Committee.

WBFAA Apprenticeship and Training Program for
Fire/Life Safety Technicians Receives State Approval
The WBFAA has been notified that their Apprenticeship and Training Program for Fire/Life Safety Technicians has been approved by the State of California Division of Apprenticeship Standards. The program, submitted for approval in August, 2001, is the result of nearly two years of work by the WBFAA Board of Directors for the organization jointly sponsored by the California Alarm Association and California Automatic Fire Alarm Association.

“The approval of this program signals a new era for the growth of professionalism for the Fire/Life Safety industry and will serve as a means to meet the expanding needs of the citizens of California,” said George Gunning, WBFAA President. “Our industry has always had a commitment to training, and the WBFAA program allows us to satisfy the requirements of the law, and to establish ourselves as a profession and an industry that will be very attractive to the young men and women seeking a career.”

“This accomplishment would not have been possible without the diligent work of our volunteer Board of Directors and the commitment of the members of CAA and CAFAA to establish a viable and credible program,” said Patty Hartman, President of the California Alarm Association. “I especially appreciate the leadership of George Gunning, and the valuable expertise of Arthur Webster and Nan Snow which guided us through the process.”

“Throughout the development of the program, we knew that the results would serve our members, the people of California and the industry nationwide,” said Ron Dalton, President of the California Automatic Fire Alarm Association. “The technical training and skills that will be acquired in this program will result in a growing base of qualified Fire/Life Safety Technicians.”

The WBFAA Apprenticeship Program offers a three-year curriculum of 525 hours of academic study and 6,000 hours of on-the-job training. Enforcement of the law is set for January 1, 2005. The law covers all persons who engage in the connection of electrical devices of 100 volt-amperes and above for electrical contractors as classified in the Contractors' State License Board Rules and Regulations.

The WBFAA will begin accepting letters from companies to participate in the program in early Fall, and courses for apprentices are expected to begin in 2003. The WBFAA will also be offering pre-testing workshops along with refresher courses for individuals who have 4,000 hours of work experience and who will be required to sit for the California State Fire/Life Safety certification exam. The WBFAA is developing a timeline for implementation based on the passage of AB 1087 and the approval of the apprenticeship program.

WHAT IS AN APPRENTICEABLE OCCUPATION?
Federal Regulations define an apprenticeable occupation as one that:

1. Is customarily learned in a practical way through a structured, systematic program of supervised on-the-job training.
2. Is clearly identified and commonly recognized throughout an industry.
3. Involves manual, mechanical or technical skills and knowledge and requires a minimum of 2,000 hours of on-the-job work experience.
4. Requires related instruction to supplement the on-the-job training. Such instruction may be given in a classroom, through correspondence courses, self-study, or other means of approved instruction.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
Any resident of the state of California over the age of 18 is eligible to apply for an apprenticeship according to state law. Most employers prefer the apprentice to have completed high school.

WHAT ARE THE COSTS?
Successful employers realize that a sound apprenticeship program is not merely a cost but also an investment in the future of their industries. Experience indicates that apprentices are motivated, learn their jobs faster, attain craftworker status sooner and are more likely to become supervisors than workers trained in other ways. In California the apprentice is paid a salary while learning. The employer may also pay all required schooling costs. The starting rate of pay for the apprentice averages 50 to 60 percent of the salary a skilled worker would earn in that occupation.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF APPRENTICESHIP?
A well-planned, properly administered apprenticeship program will:

1. Attract adequate numbers of highly qualified applicants
2. Reduce absenteeism
3. Reduce turnover
4. Increase productivity
5. Reduce cost of training
6. Facilitate compliance with Federal and State Equal Employment Opportunity requirements
7. Improve community relations
8. Improve employee relations
9. Ensure availability of related technical instruction
10. Enhance problem-solving ability of craftworkers
11. Ensure versatility of craft workers

THE MEANING OF APPRENTICESHIP.

An Apprenticeship is training strategy that:

1. Combines supervised, structured on-the-job training with related theoretical instruction and is sponsored by employers or labor/management groups with the ability to hire and train in an employment setting.
2. Has the training content, both on-the-job and in the classroom, defined and directed by the needs of the employing industry, with the length of training determined by the specific occupation within the industry.
3. Has laws and regulations clearly establishing minimum requirements for protecting the welfare of the apprentice, e.g. length of training, type and amount of related instruction, supervision, appropriate ratio of apprentices to journeyman, selection and recruitment, wage progression, safety, etc.
4. Leads to Certificate of Completion and official journeyman status which has explicit meaning, recognition, and respect in the eyes of federal and state governments and relevant industries.
   
5. Represents a sizeable investment on the part of the employer or labor/management program sponsor.
6. Pays wages to its participants, and these wages increase throughout the training in accordance with a predefined wage progression scale.
7. Have participants learn by working directly under the supervision and tutelage of a master in the craft, trade, or relevant occupational area.
8. Involves a detailed written agreement with roles and obligations defined and signed by the apprentice, the employer, and ratified by the government.

ARE THERE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS?
In the Fire/Life Safety Apprenticeship program the applicant must apply directly thru an employer. Most employers require applicants to have a minimum of a high school equivalency and a general aptitude for the trade.

WHOM SHOULD I CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION?
For information on the WBFAA UATC, contact the California Alarm Association at 800/437-7658 or the California Automatic Fire Alarm Association at 888/607-5959. WBFAA UATC, 3401 Pacific Avenue, Suite 1C, Marina del Rey, CA 90292.

WBFAA Apprenticeship and Training Program for
Fire/Life Safety Technicians Receives State Approval


MONROVIA, CA (August 9, 2002) – The WBFAA has been notified that their Apprenticeship and Training Program for Fire/Life Safety Technicians has been approved by the State of California Division of Apprenticeship Standards. The program, submitted for approval in August, 2001, is the result of nearly two years of work by the WBFAA Board of Directors for the organization jointly sponsored by the California Alarm Association and California Automatic Fire Alarm Association.

“The approval of this program signals a new era for the growth of professionalism for the Fire/Life Safety industry and will serve as a means to meet the expanding needs of the citizens of California,” said George Gunning, WBFAA President. “Our industry has always had a commitment to training, and the WBFAA program allows us to satisfy the requirements of the law, and to establish ourselves as a profession and an industry that will be very attractive to the young men and women seeking a career.”

“This accomplishment would not have been possible without the diligent work of our volunteer Board of Directors and the commitment of the members of CAA and CAFAA to establish a viable and credible program,” said Patty Hartman, President of the California Alarm Association. “I especially appreciate the leadership of George Gunning, and the valuable expertise of Arthur Webster and Nan Snow which guided us through the process.”

“Throughout the development of the program, we knew that the results would serve our members, the people of California and the industry nationwide,” said Ron Dalton, President of the
California Automatic Fire Alarm Association. “The technical training and skills that will be acquired in this program will result in a growing base of qualified Fire/Life Safety Technicians.”

The WBFAA Apprenticeship Program offers a three-year curriculum of 525 hours of academic study and 6,000 hours of on-the-job training. Enforcement of the law is set for January 1, 2005. The law covers all persons who engage in the connection of electrical devices of 100 volt-amperes and above for electrical contractors as classified in the Contractors' State License Board Rules and Regulations.

The WBFAA will begin accepting letters from companies to participate in the program in early Fall, and courses for apprentices are expected to begin in 2003. The WBFAA will also be offering pre-testing workshops along with refresher courses for individuals who have 4,000 hours of work experience and who will be required to sit for the California State Fire/Life Safety
certification exam. The WBFAA is developing a timeline for implementation based on the passage of AB 1087 and the approval of the apprenticeship program.

- WBFAA -