• I want to thank all the members that have upgraded your accounts. I truly appreciate your support of the site monetarily. Supporting the site keeps this site up and running as a lot of work daily goes on behind the scenes. Click to Support Signs101 ...

Need Help training for very new installation tech.

bigben

bigben

Not a newbie
My 19 years old nephew want to get in the game and become an installation tech for vinyl (car wrap, mural, windows, etc.). We live to far appart so I could hire him and give him a training. I've suggested to find a position in is area, but without experience no one will take him even as an apprentice.

If he goes to a formation like 3M or Avery even if he never touched a squeegee before, does he will be a ''professional'' install tech at the end of the training? I understand there is an experience level to add to this, but does he will be have the knowledge to install vinyl by himself without supervision after the training and gain experience? If not, what are your suggestions?

Thanks.
 
bigben

bigben

Not a newbie
HDvinyl said:
Youtube has a plethora of training videos.
Click to expand...

I understand this. But he can't go get a job by saying he watched a bunch of video on youtube. I think video would be more complimentary to an onsite training. Plus, with onsite training, someone will tell him if his technique is wrong or not. It would also be a faster learning curve with an onsite training.

I'm just wondering how good he could be after the training and if he would be autonomous.
 
X

XtremeXccessories

New Member
HDvinyl said:
It's not rocket science. Send him some material and a squeegee to practice after watching 20 videos.
Click to expand...

No, it's not rocket science, but proper technique and understanding is key to whether a wrap fails in 3 months or lasts for 5 years. Making it sound so simple just hurts the industry and produces bad installers, because it's not as simple as watching Youtube videos and practicing in your garage (unless by practicing you mean doing complete wraps on a dozen+ cars). When we're looking for installers we don't hire people who have "watched Youtube videos and practiced in their garage", which we get plenty of people who apply saying basically the same thing.


I don't know of any classes that are so in-depth that he would be able to wrap a car properly start to finish right off the bat, but it might get his foot in the door at a shop that is willing to train him until he can do it solo.
 
bigben

bigben

Not a newbie
I understand your point of watching video and this is how I've learned how to install vinyl at the begining. He apply to few shop in is area, but without experience they would not hire him.

But my question is about the quality and/or in-depth of the training given by company like 3M and Avery. Does it will give him all the knowledge to be autonomous and gain experience from there?
 
WB

WB

New Member
best place to start id to get a job at a shop. it take years to develop the skills to become a competent installer. Courses are good and will help but they are just another tool in the belt. If he wanted to become a electrician or mechanic you can't just take a course and be a licensed tech it takes years.
Best place to start is to get a job and get some time under his belt.
 
Baz

Baz

New Member
If he can't get hired then another option would be for him to wrap his own car. Maybe not all of it but at least the hood and other parts.
I'm sure his uncle could help him out with some material to use.

Then he should start getting some jobs and get the material from you.

We all have to start somewhere and like all of us, our first vehicle jobs were small productions for low end customers and far from perfect.
 
bigben

bigben

Not a newbie
WB said:
best place to start id to get a job at a shop. it take years to develop the skills to become a competent installer. Courses are good and will help but they are just another tool in the belt. If he wanted to become a electrician or mechanic you can't just take a course and be a licensed tech it takes years.
Best place to start is to get a job and get some time under his belt.
Click to expand...

This is the problem. No one want to hire him in is area because he don't have experience. This is why I'm wondering if the training by 3M/Avery would give him all the basic to get a job.
 
Gino

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Why don't you have him move in with you and instead of paying him, you give him room and board ?? Make a commitment of 6 months and he learns all about vinyl, weeding, some software and application of all sorts in your shop. After that, once he has some basic knowledge under his belt, then one of those weekend wrap courses will do him a lotta good. Who knows, maybe he'll end up working for you and help you make more money.............
 
Johnny Best

Johnny Best

Active Member
bigben said:
This is the problem. No one want to hire him in is area because he don't have experience. This is why I'm wondering if the training by 3M/Avery would give him all the basic to get a job.
Click to expand...

I think it would be a step in the right direction for starting out. Getting 3M certfied would get him in the front door quicker.
 
Starter

Starter

New Member
Johnny Best said:
I think it would be a step in the right direction for starting out. Getting 3M certfied would get him in the front door quicker.
Click to expand...

I have sent 3 employees on the 3M certified training. If they do not have any experience you will be setting him up failure and will be wasting your money. These courses a very hands on and you need some previous experience in applying vinyl.
I feel your pain bigben....how do you get a job a with no experience and how do you get a experience when no one will hire you.
Most installers I know started out at a sign shop applying vinyl to flat sheet signs and worked their way up the ladder. He may just have to start at the bottom rung and climb his way up at a local sign shop.
 
bigben

bigben

Not a newbie
Starter said:
I have sent 3 employees on the 3M certified training. If they do not have any experience you will be setting him up failure and will be wasting your money. These courses a very hands on and you need some previous experience in applying vinyl.
I feel your pain bigben....how do you get a job a with no experience and how do you get a experience when no one will hire you.
Most installers I know started out at a sign shop applying vinyl to flat sheet signs and worked their way up the ladder. He may just have to start at the bottom rung and climb his way up at a local sign shop.
Click to expand...

RJPW said:
I agree.

It's a bit of a catch 22, but sending someone with zero hands on experience to an expensive wrap course would be like sending a high school student to medical school without having taken any biology or intro to university courses.
Click to expand...

Good, that is the information I was looking for. Thank you.
 
Johnny Best

Johnny Best

Active Member
On the 3M certification classes brochure it states "It’s not necessary, but it’s recommended." to have experience in the field. If he did do the training it could not hurt, but bringing him in with you or getting a job in a sign shop would be the better idea to start out, things don't always work out smoothly in life. And I do not think a decent Med School would accept a high school kid without first taking a test to see if they are qualified, I am also sure 3M has a test they give and advice before taking classes from them also. If there is a will there will be a way for him to get into the field. Every one of us has been there when we started out not knowing anything about the trade. Except OldPaint, who was born with a brush in his hand and weaned on turps and OneShot.
 
Gino

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Johnny Best said:
On the 3M certification classes brochure it states "It’s not necessary, but it’s recommended." to have experience in the field. If he did do the training it could not hurt, but bringing him in with you or getting a job in a sign shop would be the better idea to start out, things don't always work out smoothly in life. And I do not think a decent Med School would accept a high school kid without first taking a test to see if they are qualified, I am also sure 3M has a test they give and advice before taking classes from them also. If there is a will there will be a way for him to get into the field. Every one of us has been there when we started out not knowing anything about the trade. Except OldPaint, who was born with a brush in his hand and weaned on turps and OneShot.
Click to expand...


And don't forget the Green Speedos
 
I

ikarasu

Active Member
bigben said:
Good, that is the information I was looking for. Thank you.
Click to expand...

I Took the beginner 3M course to become car wrap certified. It was a few hours of explaining all the products... whats good for what, and then a few hours of everyone practicing wrapping a complete car. I wrapped about 50-100 boxes before the course... so I knew 99% of what they told me. I think it's a decent course for a beginner, but honestly... Hands on experience is better. Take the money that the course would cost, and cut up a couple blank panels, tell him to practice. Wrapping a mirror is different than wrapping a straight door, as is putting window perf on the back / sides.

If he REALLY wants to learn, thats the best way. I didn't need someone by me telling me I'm doing it wrong... If I see a wrinkle, or the text becomes warped, I know I did it wrong, and I'll fix it / figure out a diff way to do it. Youtube is great... Theres tons of videos. The good thing about wrapping is everyone has their own style - There isn't just 1 "Correct" way.... Sure, theres certain things you need to know like don't vinyl over rubber, don't cut into the car with your blade... etc. But most of what he needs to know will be in every single wrapping video, the technique is something he has to get down for himself.

When I was first learning I loved it. The day after my first electrical box (Most are really flat and easy...) I grabbed a hard hat and tried to wrap that. As much of a failure as that was, it was fun... and it taught me a lot about how to do round objects. Since then... I've wrapped 100's of random objects, just to learn how to do the curves "better". I can confidently wrap most things I try... The speed is an issue on some stuff, I'm probably 1/2 as fast as my co-worker who's been doing this for 20 years... But it's still fun. I've been doing it for a year... not 8 hours a day, or even 1 hour a day... but I've wrapped maybe a couple full cars, 2 busses, 50-100 electrical boxes... and I still consider myself a beginner. Everytime I go out, I learn something new.... Thats what your nephew needs, the practice. He can learn the basics from youtube, and the rest he figures out by watching others either in a shop, or on youtube, and adapts it to his own way.


TLDR; The course can help a bit, but i found it more geared towards teaching you what materials and stuff. The best way, as others have mentioned...send him a box of scraps, they dont need to be big... Just enough to practice on mirrors, helmets, a small side panel/fender... Anything. Have him come visit for the weekend, teach him the basics.... and send him home with a box of scraps, thats all he needs. Wrapping also isn't for everyone, he may find he hates it after he tries it.
 
TammieH

TammieH

New Member
If you really want to help him, have him move in with you for a few months, train him as much as you can. You can pay him minimum wage, to help pay for his food and whatever else he needs. Also if he could get certified by 3M at the same time.
 
TXFB.INS

TXFB.INS

New Member
the relocation is a good idea.

another option is send him all of your scrap vinyl and then have him wrap whatever he can his hands on.


then when he goes to another shop, have him do an example of his wrapping skills infront of them.

we usually hand new people a hard hat and tell them to wrap it.
 
S

spectrum maine

New Member
have him buy enough wrap material to color change his car, have him come visit for a weekend, wrap car (you instruct, he does) teach him to weed & mask, done.
 
printhog

printhog

New Member
To be a professional requires hands on time. He needs an apprenticeship in a production shop. But that is hard to find.

Wrapping is just part of the trade. And it's a fad. In some markets it's already dying out.

To do a young person justice, he should be directed to learn the entire trade so that he can grow into it.

He could offer to work as an intern with a large sign shop. Gets paid zippo during training. But he gets hands on experience.

I would never hire or sub to an installer that doesn't have at least 3 years of work experience. Even if they were 3M certified.

But I do take interns for a year at a time. Usually they have college graphics or CAD/cam background.

There's lots of training videos, but supervised byvinyl in hand is best. To get a lot of vinyl experience he should look to Las Vegas and get a trading spot wrapping casinos. There are several firms that specialize in that. Hard work but lots of vinyl time.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top