Should I Be Worried If My Electrician Doesn't Have A College Degree?

I smelled an unusual odor in the house the other day; not from the dog or the cat or the nasty carpet we have in the kitchen that is the only place in the house that the "5-second rule" on dropped food is not followed. It smelled "electrical". So, with as much confidence that two college degrees in history and secondary education can give, I went into the basement (no "5-second rule" here either) and approached the gray "service panel"; I think that's what they call it. Anyway, there I located the source of the odor - and, there was a sizzling sound as well. I went back upstairs and while eating my breakfast it dawned on me that sizzling and smell could indicate a problem that would not necessarily go away if I ignored it and could lead to consequences that could be catastrophic. I remembered that my neighbor is an electrician and he actually told me once that if I needed anything of that sort to not hesitate to call. I wondered briefly if anything in that sentence excluded a call at 6:15 AM and I couldn't recall anything - nope, it was a blanket anytime promise - ironclad like in the old days when a man's word was his bond. Well, to make a long post short, I called him; he came over; identified the problem; tightened some screws that had previously been attached to a metal piece that was glowing red with heat and said he would check back in a couple of days to be sure that it hadn't worked its way loose again. The charge - nothing! Just the neighborly thing to do. Dodged a bullet. It is one of the singularly great moments in life to have the rest of your day made by 6:45 AM. How often does that happen? Then I began to feel bad. What could I do to reciprocate? Would one of his boys someday need a little bit of help, let's say, with the Civil War? Or, maybe I could rescue his family from a complete misunderstanding of the Founding of our country for which he would say, "I hoped that someday coming over and keeping your house from burning down and saving you hundreds of dollars not having to call an electrician would come in handy!" After all, what's having your house burn down compared to being confused about the development of U.S. foreign policy or the Three Branches of Government. In his defense, before he left he tried to make me feel better by saying that it was a good thing that he came over because he has a box just like mine and he had better check his to make sure it was all tightened down and secure...nice try. From time to time the rest of the day, I reflected on the value of two college degrees in preventing home maintenance disasters and it occurred to me that he was able to save me and my family with two less college degrees than I have and what a wonderful country it is. I also began to think about the modern trend of professionalizing everything to the point that it doesn't seem to matter what one can do but how many certificates and degrees one has. I wondered if they would ever get to the point of requiring electricians to have a bachelor's degree in order to get a certificate and take a long test that would cost $500. What kind of courses might they require in order to fill out 4 years and collect $150 per credit hour? Being an educator, I am justifiably interested in being very sure that even electricians are properly educated with the breadth and depth necessary to compete in the global economy. So, just for fun (I hope) I came up with a few courses to broaden the knowledge base of my electrician-neighbor beyond merely being able to fix my electrical problem...

The Theology of Natural Occurring Electrical Phenomenon

The History of Man's Relationship to Electricity - Beyond
Franklin and "The Kite"

Electrical Preparedness (in this course another electrician
will check to be sure that you have all the proper tools and
you will be trained to spot any deficiencies in the toolboxes
of your colleagues.) Course required but not for credit.

How to Handle the Difficult Customer (This course includes
very practical procedures to follow in the event of dog or
cat annoyance - taught by a faculty member who has read
and studied a great deal about dogs and cats and has worked
out 135 steps to follow with handy pocket-size fold-out guide to
carry with you anywhere.)

Gender and Race Issues in the Electrical Profession - How far
we have come yet how far we have to go!

Being a Green Electrician - includes a lab

The Affective Electrician - Students will discuss thoroughly
the characteristics of the "perfect electrician" - a very popular
course.

Cross-cultural Electrical Careers - Breaking the Barriers of
Being Simply a Western Electrician

Theoretical Similarities Among the Trades - course experience
will allow electricians, plumbers, mechanics, carpenters, and roofers
to share about one another's careers for a few hours and develop
empathetic responses to the travails of other tradeswomen (or
men).

Appreciation for the Ancient Electricians - field work with
trained archaeologists uncovering the long and purposeful
neglect of ancient aboriginal electricians.


Well, as you can see, I've just scratched the surface here but have got to go - I have a government class coming in soon!