Surely the training system is at fault? Either that, or there is so much stuff online now that I guess they just need an iPad or such like.
I guess it is also that some of us "older gentlemen" have gone through a much different system where the "Boss" was not going to find himself on an assault charge if he either used his boot or, threatened similar.
When I started there was not even a Technical School where I lived. Up until about the end of my 3rd year all theory was done by correspondence. Once a year we were sent to the big smoke for a week or so at a Tech School in the city. After final exams and before a licence was issued, two local electrical contractors appointed by the licensing board, came around to the workshop and spent some time questioning us about all sorts of stuff. They would pick up a job that was in the shop and we had to explain how it worked and any safety issues with its use.
I have posted on another thread that I consider myself very fortunate to have served my time in a place that worked on such a diverse range of equipment. I was indentured as an electrical fitter, and after I finished there was by then a Tech School in town, so I attended night classes for a year or so, and then another test for an "installers" licence. I hold a WA "A Grade" licence endorsed: Electrical Fitter and Electrical Mechanic. Originally there was also "and armature winder" endorsement, but that changed at some stage to just the above.
I have no formal training on refrigeration and air conditioning, apart from that studied while working towards marine engineers tickets. In later years when I worked on American oil rigs as electrician, the refrigeration and air conditioning was also part of the job, except on drillships, where it was a combined effort with the ships engineers. Self study and practice had to suffice! At around age 60 years of age just before I retired, the American company had a list of course's that we had to attend. They were most put out when I refused to go to the USA to attend a one week HVAC course, which according to their training manager, would make me "fully qualified"!

