Electro-Mechanical Deductive Reasoning for Heavy Equipment Technicians

“The instructor is very patient and knowledgeable, offered assistance and gave time to help me understand the task at hand.”

“Very good course. I would recommend to my coworkers if they felt they needed to improve their troubleshooting skills, or develop proper skills. This course will take them to where they would want to be. This course had given me valuable skills and knowledge to make my job as a maintenance electrician...

“Very good training, very much like back to the trade school. Best training I have been on in a long time. It really helped with logical process for troubleshooting. Example, more analysis less testing.”

The course and instructor were really good, very well-formatted to keep on topic and moving forward. It was all-around excellent, really opened my eyes to ways of troubleshooting problems I had never thought of asking before, and moving forward, can use in all sorts of different troubleshooting.

"Joe Kicenuik left lots of time to review all the classroom material. He was very helpful in answering any questions and was effective in explaining what troubleshooting techniques work best for each particular problem. This course will improve your way of approaching future problems in your job field."

"This course will pay for itself the first time a critical motor is down. If it saves one hour of downtime that is $100,000.00"

"I liked this course as there were good fault/circuit boards to work on. I liked the heater simulator as it related to a lot of what I would do on a regular troubleshooting day. (A lot of propane furnaces, which are similar) Also, the timing circuit was great, a lot of knowledge came out of that one...

“The instructor was knowledgeable on course content. He kept everything in informal and made it fun. Emphasized the process on how to solve problems.”

“This was an excellent course with a great layout of the material. It starts with a learning process of systematically breaking down the circuits to narrow down the focus area. By doing this, you have a smaller focus area and less testing, making you more efficient. Also learning the importance of...

“ Excellent content with plenty of hands-on troubleshooting and demo-circuits to use/test the techniques.”

“Very good to think of troubleshooting in a more effective manner and safer to record results and findings for information sharing’s and recording. WebCAT will send all people to course in electrical field.”

"The course was well presented and the instructor Ed Rideout gave good explanations and answers to the questions asked. He taught us how to look at problems in a different way and showed us other troubleshooting methods."

"Very good tips on how to break down a problem into manageable steps. And on eliminating problem areas to break down problems. Good teaching."

"The course was good, we were shown a different way to approach problems. The instructor, Terry Yonkheym was easy to understand and follow."

The course was a good refresher. It had good analysis sharpening skills. Also, the switchboards, laptops, and programs helped break down circuits.

“This was a really good course and instructor(Ed Rideout). I found great improvement in troubleshooting procedures and documentation. It also reduced number of steps to find faults by 50% to 75% (more efficient). I recognized different ways to troubleshoot (both open circuits and short circuits). I...

“ Documentation is the key to successful troubleshooting. Excellent job! I will be recommending to my supervisor that the other techs take this training”

"The instructor, Terry Yonkheym was very knowledgeable and came across well wth his presentation. He was very good at explaining the problems encountered and what to look for. Also, explained this course was about "how" to troubleshoot with the 5 step system. This technique should help to figure out...

The course was very informative and taught us a good way on how to troubleshoot. The teacher, Terry Yonkheym was good at getting his points across and always had time for each person.

“This course was a great eye opener on how planning before troubleshooting, will save you a lot of pain and time. As anew worker to the industrial workplace it is a great way to boost my troubleshooting skills. The instructor was great and made sure we all got the points before we moved on and gave...

Course was beneficial in that it shows if you take a complex problem and break it down, document the information you have and come up with a plan it makes troubleshooting the problem easier. Instructor, Joe Kiceniuk was knowledgeable and conveyed the intent of the course.

"Thought the course was very informative. It taught extra ways of thinking to use for problems. The instructor, Ed Rideout was very experienced and showed poise when asked to go over/show different ways of explaining a problem to the class."

“This was a very good course that I will recommend to other electricians that I work with. The instructor was very personable and knowledgeable. This course helped me to analyze and understand circuits that I will come across without seeing them beforehand.”

"Great instruction, I learnt a lot of troubleshooting skills. It was a very informative course!!"

I think the course was useful because it taught me how to plan my troubleshooting. It was a lot of hands on tasks which was good. It gave me a lot of testing experience and the ability to experiment, going about problems in a different way. The instructor, Terry Yonkheym was knowledgeable and kept the...

I did enjoy this course and liked reviewing what I already learned back in trade school. The instructors were very knowledgeable and helped me through parts of the course in which I was a little rusty.

“Introduction was good, well-paced and concise. This course had the perfect proportion of lecture vs hands on. It had a good variety of troubleshooting diagnostic boards/software, an excellent course for apprentices.”

"Course was beneficial in that it shows if you take a complex problem and break it down, document the information you have and come up with a plan, it makes troubleshooting the problem easier."

“This course and the instructor were both exceptional and I highly recommend this course to anyone in the electrical trade.”

"The hands on work was well organized and the computer word was a nice change from the norm, both of which made you think. This is a must have course for technologists."

"This was by far the most practical electrical course I have taken so far. The instructor was excellent and very knowledgeable in his field. I wish I had taken this course 20 years ago."

“The information was good. There was lots of hands on, which was excellent. The instructor kept things moving at a good pace. He was knowledgeable about aspects of the course material. The equipment used worked well with the troubleshooting objective. Definitely learnt something.”

“The instructor was extremely helpful, knowledgeable, friendly and understanding of the student’s different levels of experience. The course was probably one of the best I've done to date. I feel more confident when approaching equipment to repair with either experience or little experience working...

“As a maintenance electrician, I think the course was great and should be made mandatory for all journeymen. I will continue to use a consistent systematic approach when troubleshooting. Our instructor was very knowledgeable on the material presented, very patient, and made the course fun and entertaining.”

"The props and test equipment make it easier to understand and learn. Computer apps were an interesting challenge. Even with a lot of years experience it is helpful to see troubleshooting from another structured perspective."

"I liked this class a lot. I liked the use of the different boards and how hands on the class was. The instructor, Joe Kiceniuk was very knowledgeable and clear on his points."

I enjoyed this class a lot. I liked the use of the different boards and how hands-on the class was.

“This course was valuable in terms of learning documentation and a methodical approach to troubleshooting. It was practical and engaging and provided valuable tips and practice in implementing the method. I would have liked a little more coaching on how to divide the circuits and theory. However, after...

“I really enjoyed my practical class. Thank you for sharing your expertise, I hopefully will be able to implement it further into the field. Thanks.”

“This course helps to improve troubleshooting skills by starting with the basics. Shows the importance of documentation for helping you and your coworkers. By planning your testing, you will be more efficient. Course was thorough and well instructed. The instructor made sure everyone was at the same...

"This course was excellent overall. The equipment and tools provided were excellent. The instructor Ed Rideout, was clear and made you feel comfortable with the material."

"I think this was a great course. I haven't done a lot of troubleshooting up to this point but certainly feel better prepared to do so now. Joe Kiceniuk is a great instructor and he is very knowledgeable."

“I found this instructor to be very knowledgeable and engaging. He presented the course material in an organized manner, making it easy to follow. The concepts presented will be of great benefit to troubleshooting. I would recommend this course and instructor.”

“ I enjoyed it. It was very mixed. You were not overdoing just one aspect but always covering something new. I like the troubleshooting tools…thinking, observing, analysis, then test!”

“I would recommend this course to all electrical workers. This course helps you go through the process on what and how to troubleshoot electrical systems. I believe that this would help people troubleshoot electrical problems faster.”

"This course was very informative and interesting. Good information which is reinforced by the hands on practice provided."

"The course was effective at teaching the importance of proper documentation of problems and how to narrow down a problem area."

"This course was fun and challenging at the same time. Instruction was clear, done in a comfortable environment."

Although I have an established understanding of electrical systems in our field of work established from my experience, I enjoyed working through electrical bugs. Learning to troubleshoot electrical problems has sharpened my mind, and I am ready to apply myself.

“This course was a great learning tool and it's hard at times but it was great, good job.”

“This was a well paired course with plenty of time and exercises to complete, very knowledgeable instruction for planning.”

“The instructor was knowledgeable about the content of the course, which helps explaining how to dissect and troubleshooting electrical problems and prints. This course is a valuable asset. It's provided knowledge on how to become quicker and more efficient at recognizing the problem in an electrical...

I found the instructor to be very clear with the information in the course and very helpful with understanding the process of deductive reasoning. This course was very good at helping you work through the problem by writing down or documenting your steps

“The instructor Ed Rideout, presented the course content in a clear efficient manner. New troubleshooting techniques were well presented and received. By the end of the course I had noticed overall improvement in circuit troubleshooting ability.”

“Enforced the importance of good documentation, know what to expect from meter readings before the readings, understanding the problem, get all the available info, if stuck on a problem, take a short break.”

"Excellent course and knowledgeable instructor. Relaxed learning pace with no limits on fault findings. The test equipment and labs were easily understood and were easy to operate. Documentation provided was clear and accurate. It changed my process for fault findings."

“Wish I had been given the opportunity to take this training years back. Learning in the classroom, rather than learning in the field, costs the company less down time. This easily pays for the training. Thanks for letting me attend. I will be promoting this to have our 9 control techs take the training.”

“This was a great course; I had no experience on troubleshooting prior to the start of this course. Now I feel comfortable. I'm glad it was available for me and it will greatly help me in the future.”

“Interesting course, I enjoyed it.”

“Very knowledgeable instructor with a good attitude explains the hazard material thoroughly. The course teaches you an analytical approach for problem solving that can be applied basically to everything in life, recommended to everyone.”

"Course teaches and dictates the importance of keeping focused on issue and document info. Plan a strategic execution of analyzing data, record info, isolate problem areas and control amount of excess testing with meter to minimize false readings.

“The course was well thought out, had good equipment, good pace, and relevant training material. The instructor was friendly and relatable, good instruction, good at presenting ideas in different ways to help with understanding.”

“Using logic and better testing (meter) techniques, I am now a much more effective and efficient trouble-shooter.”

“The instructor did a great job, very informative, very helpful, lots of knowledge. This is one of the best courses I have ever been involved in; I learnt a lot from this experience.

“The instructor has lots of experience and demonstrated the information very well. I will make use of the information presented. Great course.”

“I fully enjoyed the course and I would highly rate this course for the rest of my coworkers. The equipment was excellent and there was a lot of troubleshooting areas which were great.”

“I found the course and the instructor challenged me in ways that revealed my weaknesses and provided the skills and system to overcome them. Well worth it!”

“The course will help me a lot in troubleshooting. It made me learn to troubleshoot quicker and able to split the problem in half the time. The instructor was really good at what he teaches and that made the course better. Thanks.”

"Very good. Good amount of hands on mixed with a good amount of theory. The workload was perfect, any more would have been rushed or not understood by the end of the day. My brain was tired. Any less would not have forced me to push myself. The hands on laptops were perfect."

“This is an excellent course to build confidence in troubleshooting, building a solid base from which to troubleshoot. The instructor, Terry Yonkheym, sets a good pace, is knowledgeable and is easy to understand.”

“I found that I should be able to find faults much, much faster now. Thank you tremendously.”

“I thought this course was a great approach to improving troubleshooting skills. Ed Rideout did a great job instructing, was very knowledgeable and easy to understand. I could see my skills improving as the week went on. The test sets used for the course were great, as well as the software. All in...

"Excellent course. The content and the instructor exceeded my expectations, I have new tools in my toolbox. Most importantly, a new way of thinking. How to come to an issue? How to gather "helpful" info? How to zero in on the problem? The hands on was an invaluable learning tool."

“The course was challenging and effective in teaching the intended skills. As long as one keeps in mind its intent which is to focus on a troubleshooting system rather than the particular equipment, I think anyone would find it an excellent learning experience.”

“Instructor was very knowledgeable and the course was great. The course was very hands on which made it easier to learn.”

“ Good course content and lots of hands on to solidify the theory. This course will pay for itself in two weeks”

“The course was very helpful in developing a better technique to approach troubleshooting faults, thinking more about the test you are going to perform. I would recommend this course.”

“This course helps to show how to focus on the problem and how to narrow down where in your circuit the fault is. The instructor was helpful in showing how to prove you have located the fault through testing. This will be helpful in my work on board HMC ships and submarines.”

“My troubleshooting skills are better after finding a method to break apart electrical problems. This course shows you efficient ways to analyze information and plan tests.”

“I think that most of the materials presented were a great exercise in practicing trouble shooting skills.”

“The instructor was very knowledgeable, able to convey the message to the students so they understood. Hands on problem were similar to real-world problems, good layered track approach didn't intimidate students. Gave students confidence to take a good approach to troubleshooting.”

Although I experience many similar troubleshooting scenarios at work, this course helps develop the proper way. Planning, diagrams and a proper course of action that could help me be more effective in the field. I found the last few days interesting as well as being related to electronic systems, some...

“ Excellent, an invaluable troubleshooting tool.”

“Had a good time learning about troubleshooting. The instructor was good and answered all of my questions. He showed us how and where to begin troubleshooting so we didn’t have to go through the whole circuit. I would tell anyone to take this course as it was very helpful.”

“This course is the best I've ever done. Lots of hands-on which is the best and fastest way to learn. This course is making me feel more comfortable in troubleshooting; the instructor was a great teacher and a nice person.”

Great instructors, very knowledgable, willing to slow down and go over the material as many times as it takes, very patient. Course Covers a lot of relevant info.

“The instructor let us know the focus of the course and really showed us the method which we were to follow. Easy to talk to and made you think through the problems.”

“The course was useful in the sense that it teaches the importance of finding your starting point and staying calm while troubleshooting. The course would be best suited for apprentices, journeymen with little or no troubleshooting experience. There are lessons to be taken from it and about the mental...

“Course was very good, definitely gave me another way to troubleshoot problems and make sure I document everything. Had very good examples and hands on was awesome, better than looking at a Power Point all day.”

“I was very happy with the course. I learned a lot. My troubleshooting skills have improved more than what I was expecting. The teacher was awesome and very knowledgeable.”

I found that the course was good and it made me think about narrowing down the problem and planning it out before starting my troubleshooting. I liked the fact it was a small class ad it was easier to get help if you needed it.

“The most useful and helpful electrical course I've ever done with Syncrude. Every electrician should take this course at some point in their career. Makes you think about the problem on a larger scale, then narrow down that your testing area.”

"The best off-site training I have been to..."

"This course gets your mind working so you can look at a problem in a different frame of mind."

“The course was very effectively laid out and the use of the training aids made the course much easier to stay engaged. The instructor was very knowledgeable and was able to steer you in the proper direction without making you feel stupid. Excellent course overall.”

“Everything was great; this course will help me very much to troubleshoot better.”

“The instructor explained the material very well; he was very knowledgeable of the equipment, material and software. He was able to break down problems to a level anyone could understand. I noticed improvement day to day in my troubleshooting abilities.”

"This course was good and definitely changed my thought process. The hands on/practical portion I found to be the most effective. The computer programs were also very effective."

I would recommend this training to others, another tool to add to the kit. The instructor, Ed Rideout was easy going and helpful. I also liked the....no question is a stupid question.