Electro-Mechanical Deductive Reasoning for Heavy Equipment Technicians

“The instructor was very knowledgeable and well prepared. He used real time examples to illustrate points. He kept the flow going not allowing us to get side tracked from our goals. Each day started with a review and reinforced course objectives. A great course, highly recommend it.”

"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.

“I would recommend this course to my co-workers. I learnt how to document everything and how to approach and solve problems in a different way.”

"I have gained the confidence in analyzing and learning how to find a problem, by not getting my mind stuck in one spot. Just that alone has already made me better at my trade. The amount I have learned during this course would have satisfied me by the end of the second day. So, having a full five days...

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...

“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 very knowledgeable in troubleshooting and course content very interesting and worthwhile course.”

"This course will pay for itself by the time I repair my first piece of equipment. Ed Rideout is an excellent instructor with a lot of actual hands on experience. Top guy, top course. Material was clear and relevant."

“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.”

“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...

"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."

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

"Course is hard for the first coupe of days, but in the middle of the course it starts to get easy or better. I have learnt lots and will take it to my work place. The instructor, Joe Kiceniuk is very good, easy going and very smart. I had fun, thanks for the course Canada Training Group."

“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...

“ If you want everyone playing on the same team to work correctly and in an efficient manner, do this training”

“This course was very beneficial, learning and brushing up on old skills. The testing boards/equipment is all set up very well. I would certainly suggest this to any and all colleagues. Two thumbs up.”

“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.”

“I found this course to be very precise and to the point, teaching an effective and expedient means to troubleshoot a system that is more or less universal. I found the method this course taught to even be effective on systems I was not familiar with; using this method I was able to successfully troubleshoot...

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

“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 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.

"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...

"This course is an excellent tool for anyone who will be doing troubleshooting on equipment or a plant."

“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.”

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

“The instructor and course was very good. The instructor was well-prepared and very knowledgeable. I would tell all my co-workers how excellent this course was taught.”

“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.”

“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.”

The course was interesting and the instructors were knowledgeable, approachable, and kept things interesting. Fault loading on the boards and the use of the computer programs helped build proficiency in the techniques.

"This is an excellent course. I learned a lot of valuable information, especially regarding the application of thinking and learning patterns. Draw out your problem area and focus on the underlying issue."

“Good hands on training in a controlled setting. Trains you on an approach to troubleshooting. Proves that the importance of documenting your finding, shows how to divide and conquer the problem. Lots of different troubleshooting problems to work on so there is something for everyone.”

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

"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."

“ How to analyze, document and test efficiently... this course is for anyone who works on electrical systems.”

"I enjoyed the troubleshooting and especially the methodology"

“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.”

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

“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 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.”

“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.”

“Very fun course with a wide variety of equipment. Good practice for troubleshooting, unfamiliar equipment also good practice for using your logic for solving unknown electrical problems. The instructor was very helpful and made the course very interesting.” Roch Lavergne, Norbord

“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.”

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

“I thoroughly enjoyed this course. It had lots of hands on exercises, which is the best way to learn. Ed Rideout was very knowledgeable and obviously had a ton of practical experience. Great instructor!”

“The instructor was very knowledgeable about the course material. The content of the course was very interesting and valuable for my personal benefit as well as the company. I had very little exposure to prints and troubleshooting before the course and I feel now way ahead in this troubleshooting than...

“This course was very beneficial in helping you to think about how to breakdown problems to reduce troubleshooting time. The idea of documenting everything so that others can pick up where you left off will help with cross shift issues.”

"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."

HATCES “I would recommend this course for anyone who was looking to upgrade or start on their troubleshooting knowledge. The structured system taught is a very helpful tool to help pinpoint the problem efficiently. The instructor is very knowledgeable and will help you along without pointing out the...

“The first day I thought I should get a little more instructions, but I got into it and I started to see the objective, what the objective was to get me thinking and figuring out methods to improve my troubleshooting. In the beginning I was frustrated but as my troubleshooting improved, frustration...

"Although I experience many similar troubleshooting scenarios at work, this course helped develop the proper way. Planning, diagrams, a proper course of action that could help me be more effective in the field."

"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."

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...

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

“This course teaches you about mental state and how it affects your attitude when trying to troubleshoot. It plays an important role in analytical thinking that not many people would realize on their own. I would recommend this course/instructor to not only electricians, but millwrights, mechanics...

"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"

“This course was very informative and makes you think outside the box. It was challenging troubleshooting. The instructor was knowledgeable and showed you safe troubleshooting techniques. It was a positive atmosphere, effective meter placement, reduced troubleshooting times, visual troubleshooting...

“ Very effective and efficient way of how to solve a problem…from start to finish”

“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...

"The course did a great job in teaching me how to approach troubleshooting a piece of equipment that I'm not familiar with. It taught techniques and provided lots of practical and hands-on practice using those techniques. The classroom exercises were all very different from each other and all were similar...

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

"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."

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

“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.”

“I think the course was very well presented and helped emphasize the use of a meter and how to interpret the readings you get.”

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

“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.”

"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 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.”

“I think that after taking this course, I will become a faster and better trouble-shooter. The instructor was very well informed and came across so that I could understand it easily.”

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

“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.”

This course was definitely beneficial to me. It opened my eyes on how to look at a circuit differently and use less steps to identify a problem. This training proved the importance of recording ALL information gathered about a problem, at the same time also knowing how the circuits should operate under...

“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.”

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

"This is a great course. I learnt lots about how to organize and prepare for troubleshooting. Well worth attending."

“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...

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 props/test equipment makes it easier to understand and learn. Computer apps were an interesting challenge. Even with years of experience, it is helpful to see troubleshooting from another structured perspective.

“The course demonstrated the importance of taking notes, which became apparent to prevent yourself from going in circles and checking equipment previously checked. Splitting the circuits into sections is something I will take away from the course and use extensively in the future. I view this as a...

“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...

"I believe this course will help decrease downtime if we document, analyze and have a plan before we start arc testing."

“I learnt more than I thought I would have learnt. I’ve learned that having more information and being organized is the key to the problem solving. Having a place to start is better than staring at the wall. The instructor was informative and explained things so I could understand them. Definitely...

“ 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!”

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

“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!”

“I found the method of troubleshooting presented to be very helpful in solving the problems during the course. After 2 days the time to solve each problem was reduced significantly. I will try to apply this method with similar problems on the job. I found the day 5 troubleshooting board to be most...

“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.”

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.

"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."

This course is an excellent learning tool for troubleshooting. The way it was taught was excellent for getting though the information. For personal gain this was a very good experience. The hands on showed me a ton of new useful information. Ed Rideout was a great teacher, clear and thorough.

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

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

"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."

"Terry Yonkheym was very patient with our lack of technical "expertise". This was a good course to show us methods to practice in future activities to analyze and plan a method to put into practice."

“Course was very good, challenging and informative.”

“This is an excellent course for giving troubleshooting procedure. Shows how to breakdown and analyze a problem so with minimal tests you are able to find the problem. The instructor, Terry Yonkheym was very knowledgeable and has extensive knowledge in the troubleshooting and electrical systems. Recommended...

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

“The instructor, Terry Yonkheym sure knows his stuff which helps a lot. I think in time I will surely benefit from this course (once I make what I learnt common practice). Class size was perfect and overall experience was good.”