thanx RicB for these information. I think the American way is a good one: let everybody do the job, but test him before he is going to be a registered technician. What I appreciate at the German way is that the training is reasonable. You learn, but you are trained on the job and the employer benefits too. Therefore it´s okay to get a small salary for that. And I appreciate that an apprenticeship takes a few years (differs between 2 and 3.5 years, depending on the profession). But how it´s in Norway? Everybody may market himself as tech, but how to become a tech? How to learn a complete rebuilding? Are there schools which you have to pay for? Gregor >From: RicB <ricb at pianostemmer.no> >Reply-To: Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org> >To: pianotech at ptg.org >Subject: registered piano technician >Date: Sat, 02 Dec 2006 21:49:57 +0100 > >Hei Gregor. > >I'm that Norwegian fellow you refered too. Actually there are a few that >follow the list and sometimes throw in a comment or two. Myself I am born >american and became Norwegian a couple years ago after living here for the >past 25 years. > >I started my piano tech life in the US and continued it here so I have a >pretty good familiarity with both countries. And after having joined >associations in both the US and Norway and being active in both I've come >to know quite a few techs in Europe as well. > >You are going to no doubt hear a lot of different opinions about how >education and certification of pianotechs should be. Many, especially in >america, but not limited to them, are of the firm belief that no >certification should be required and that any government involvement will >just make matters hopeless. These will argue, and correctly so, that >having a certification does not guarantee that workmanship will be of good >quality. The certification can yield a false sense of authority and >dependability and even sometimes unrightfully protect a technician who >produces shoddy results. > >The flip side of this coin however in my view is even worse. You allow >anyone to market themselves as a pianotech and allow the market place to >rule. A kind of chaos really... with its own particular filtering devices >for both technicians.... and customers. Further, I would point out that >while requiring a formal education and state approved certification does >not guarantee any degree of workmanship... it certainly does leave the >technician no excuse for not performing acceptably. It strikes me that when >a baseline of ethics, standards and practices are formally drawn up the >customer is far better protected, the industry at large is far better >served, and the piano technical community will be far better informed and >equipped to support the market as a whole. > >So I side up on the side of those who adhere to the way things were in >Germany a couple years back and still are in Switzerland. I say this in >full admission of being one of those who came up through the grasses on my >own. I think back many times about how many years I wasted wallowing >around in the semi dark without any formal education and how much more I >may have been able to accomplish in my career had I started on that >educational journey back then instead of roughly 10 years ago. You get so >far on your own... and no farther. And indeed I got about as far as one >could expect on ones own. > >In the US, and in Norway, as in most places on this planet... anyone with >no more then a freshly purchased tuning hammer and fork can legally market >themselves as a pianotech and take money for the "work" they do. It is in >my mind no small wonder we see such a depressed and confused market with >customers expecting the most incredible of unrealistic things from their >instruments and a public that in general looks at us all to often with far >less then the respect we deserve. > >To become an RPT, you must demonstrate enough knowledge and ability that at >least you know a reasonable amount about what you are doing. But the pass >levels are low enough that it is not what I would call more then a >beginning journeyman's (at best) level. And the US test is probably the >best around of the private associations in the piano world. > >You ask a question that really demands more of an answer then our forum can >give you when it comes down to it. But I hope this and some of the other >answers will at least give you pause and food for thought on the matter. > >Cheers >RicB _________________________________________________________________ Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today it's FREE! http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/
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