I've spent about the past 20 years of my life working with electricity and I love it. I've recently made the decision to become a full-fledged licensed electrician. The question I have, is how?

I contacted my local IBEW for their apprentice training program and they aren't accepting any applications at all and there is no known time when they will be. What are my other options? When I search for "electrician" I see a few online schools, but I can't figure out what I get from them at the end of the course. Also, their courses are less than a year while the IBEW course is 5 years. Doesn't sound right.

Any input whatsoever would be very much appreciated.

Sam Lewit

Welcome to the site,

It wasn't long ago that I posted the same question. I am currently enrolled in a technical college. I attend 4 days a week for about a year and a half and will walk away with the abilitie to test into the journeymans license at that time. I have already talked to a few employers about jobs, but I will wait untill I recieve enough training to make the salarie that I need. With the expieriance, you should be able to find a non-union shop to start your appreniship.

>With the expieriance, you should be able to
>find a non-union shop to start your
>appreniship.

Thanks for the reply. Can you elaborate on what this means? What *is* an apprentiship? I can simply go to any employer and ask them if they have a program? Sorry, I'm just confused about the concept.

My crude understanding with the IBEW program is that they would team me up with someone (teacher?) in a real-life workplace, and then go to school at night. If I hook up with any old employer, where does the schooling come in? How do I get certified/licensed?

Try to do a search for IEC. Independent Electrical Contractors. Not sure what the state to state coverage is since the are "Open" shop only but they have some good classes depending on the local instructors.

Salewit,
Welcome to ECN, mate!.
An apprenticeship is a period of training that you undertake with a licenced Electrician.
This can last up to 4 years or so forth.
Also at the same time you will be required to do Night classes in Theory and the Basics of the Trade.
Sorry I can't help you any further than that on the US apprenticeships, but after doing 2 myself, I am fully aware of what can go on during an apprenticeship.
Hope that this helps, if not, post away!.
Also, what part of the US do you come from?.
[Message edited to add last question]

[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 01-09-2004).]

Thanks. I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area. Oakland to be exact.

To become a licensed electrician in most states/cities, you have to show 4 years work experience as an apprentice. This may be measured in one of several ways. # of months employment, or # of hours worked, or some other way of showing your work experience. You may also need to show some formal training. The IBEW is only one of the electrical training possibilities. The ABC (Association of Building Contractors) may have a course in your area. Another possibility is a community or JR college. There is also several self study classes and books you can buy.
It does not matter which you choose provided you are willing to study hard.
Any electrician who cares in this field has to study regulary just to keep up with the many changes and new products that come out all the time.
Find a electrical contractor to employ you and train you. Do not expect to get a journeymans wage until 1) you can do all the work, and 2) you are able to take and pass the test given by the AHJ (Authority having jurisdiction) in your area.
Good Luck

back in 1985 i was hired on as a helper. the lucky ones were given the opportunity to become indentured apprentices with abc school. i had my employer sign me up and paid for it myself. im not sure but you may want to check with abc or neca training courses and see if you can sign up for class without being sponsored by an electrical contractor.

Hey salewit,
I wish you the best of luck with your endeavour to become an Electrician.
Please by all means, if you get stuck on some point of theory or a bit of practical skills, give us guys here a yell, I reckon there is about 3 million years collective experience here and you are more than welcome to tap into it!.
Be my guest.

[apologies in advance - work computr is acting up, so post will be in several phases]

Salewit - welcome to the site.

While the education and experience are great, the IBEW wasn't really an option for me - call it a conflict of opinions. (Not anti-union at all - I've been in different unions since I was 17. Just not IBEW) And if your local is saying that they have no openings in their Apprenticeship training, your area must be hard up for work.

As nesparky already mentioned, most communities do have a four year experience (provable by paystubs or affadavit) requirement. Check with your AHJ, however, as many have an "or comparable / or equivalent" clause.

Our town does - the Ordinance allows holders of DD-214's with residential electrician training to challenge the test. (due to the navy base being close, and the CBU (seaBees) presence). It also allows IBEW cardholders to challenge, to ge their own tickets.

I was allowed to challenge with several years of helper/apprentice work, (even p/t), and a diploma from a correspondence school. It all comes down to how you can read the National (and City) Electrical Codes... and some common sense.

If your AHJ allows an equivalant, check out www.educationdirect.com . It's a decent program, and it's good background on theory. There are others out there also.

Of course, I must state for the record, that NO BOOK LEARNIN' CAN BEAT HANDS ON EXPERIENCE. Not that I'm against education, but explaining how to perform a back-to-back bend and actually doing it are two different animals. Getting a job (part or full time) as a helper / apprentice is the way to get your foot in.

Good luck!


[This message has been edited by DougW (edited 01-10-2004).]

salewit

Congratulations on your choice to become an electrician. I'm now 50 years old and I love the trade more than ever.
I have learned so much from this website.
Follow the information on the message board and you will do fine.

Frank

Since you are in California you won't have an AHJ to deal with for the license when the time comes. If/when Ca gets their state license program up and running for real you will have to take a state exam. For the experience, pick up your classified ads and look for contractors hiring helpers. With the IBEW apprenticeship being unavailable to you now this is the fastest way to get the experience. You will start out with a lot of grunt work, toting conduit, cutting and threading etc. but any good journeyman will be happy to help you learn conduit bending and other areas of the work if you show an eagerness to learn. Class at your local CC to go along with it in electrical theory, AC and DC circuits will help you with the book end. Good luck and welcome to the trade. I know it's been good to me. Above all, work safely.

Salwit,
Since you are from Oakland I have a question. Have you tried at more than one local? There are allot of locals within close proximity in that area. All with very high wage scales. (Locals 6 and 617 across the bay from you have JW scales of more that $42.00 per hour on the check + $11 in benefits) Just because one isn't taking applications doesn't mean they all are not. I understand the Bay area is slow right now and it may be tough to get in the apprenticeship. But that is going to go for the non-union sector as well. The unions are strong up there and when times are good have plenty of work. In 2000 -2001 they couldn't get enough electricians up there. Their was an unbelievable boom up there until the Dot Bombs exploded! Hopefully the economy swings back and you can get in. Good luck,
Nick

>Since you are from Oakland I have a
>question. Have you tried at more than one >local?

Thanks everyone for the advice. I really appreciate it. I've checked with the locals in San Francisco and San Jose. Both *will* be accepting applications at the next quarter (April). The problem is that as I understand it, I will need to work days and do classroom at night in those areas. SF is ok I guess. Not thrilled to death to be commuting there day and night for the next five years. San Jose is 2 hours travel time a day. That would definitely be tough. But I will most likely apply at SF in April.

Thanks again.
Sam

Keep trying, Sam...It's a good trade to get into; you can make a good living when the work's there... the good thing about a union apprenticeship is when you get your ticket, you can travel to any local that has work and start there at journeyman wage- no starting off low and working your way up the ladder again and again...
Of course, I am a little biased. I'm a 23 year veteran out of local 35 IBEW in Hartford, Ct.

Good Luck!

..I don't know about other states, but, here in N.J., you need 60 months(5yrs) consecutive time working for a licenced contractor...then you may sit for the test..I took a "prep" course to get me on track..it was well worth the $550.00, the state also gives allowances for training in an accredited school/adult or vocational classes..and may diminish the required time spent in the field....Good Luck, Man,..it's a great field, and you NEVER stop learning!!!!
AR

hello and welcome salewit, i hope you don't mind me picking this out of your thread here...

perhaps most here would voice issue of what it used to bevs. what it is these days, but the end result is still skilled labor

insourcing here hasn't driven us completely off the radar screen either

best of luck to you and your endevor to join the flock


~S~

Don't forget Local 234 Castroville,Local 595 Dublin, Local 302 Martinez, Local 684 Modesto,
Local 617 San Mateo,Local 551 Santa Rosa, and Local 180 Vallejo. Like I said, allot of locals in a relatively small area up there!

Sorry to bring this topic back to life, but it appears that all of the great suggestions here are just turning into dead-ends. Probably because of the SF Bay's bad economy at the moment. I've tried all the local IBEW's. The one or two that are taking applications (in April) are telling me the wait is a *minimum* of one year. I checked the IEC which isn't taking any applications.

It looks like the only avenue left would be for me to contact local electricians directly. Can you guys give me a little detail on just what it is I ask for? Inotherwords, I will send my resume and a letter. In the letter do I say that I want to work as an apprentice or do I not mention that? How does my work get credited towards certification? Then do I also need to enroll in classes at the same time?

Also, from what I can tell, California has no certification program (looks like they're working on it). It looks like all I have to do to be a licensed electrician is to be licensed with the Contractors State License Board. Can this be right?

Thanks again for all the help.


[This message has been edited by salewit (edited 01-15-2004).]

Hi salewit.

I hear you when you say the applications are few and far between.

Have you tried the following site for more information?? (National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee.)

http://www.njatc.org/

or the following (IBEW and the NECA http://www.ibew.org/organizing/construction.htm

When I was trying to get my son into the trade I told him that perseverence was important. They want to see someone who is that interested that they will keep calling in person and by phone. He was told not to bother, they would call him but he kept it up and in a month he had his apprenticeship started.

From what I hear, electricians are in demand throughout the States and Canada. The lack of skilled trades is creating opportunities for Canadians to work (legally) in the states. I know these are journeymen and formen but it stands to reason apprentices are needed as well. ( Coffee, gophers, and on and on as well as learn the trade)

I am an IBEW member and can only say good things about the organisation. There are others that believe a "union" is a bad thing.

Like life, there are good and bad everything.

If you do get to work with an electrical contractor in a non-electrician capacity, you may be able to get that company to sponser you down the road. But, be honest..tell them, if they ask, that you are going to be making application for an apprenticeship at the first opportunity.

Keep up and persevere.

Doug...et al

[This message has been edited by DGT (edited 01-15-2004).]

Here is everything you would want to know about California's certification. http://www.ibewnecaforcertification.org/index.html

Sorry to hear things are slow. Don't give up.

I was led to believe that The Terminator was going to put you guys back on track. LOL

salewit;

Try some "Cold Calls" with many ECs, learn "Hands-On", and continue studying "Advanced Items" + Theory, on the side and while you are working in the field.

Glad to hear/see your passion for the trade- never stop feeling this way!

Good luck!

Feel free to ask away here when things become confusing, or you need to know what something is &/or how/why it works!
Trumpy has stated the best thing:
"At least 3 Million Years of combined knowledge here!"

Scott35

BTW: "Cold Call" = show up at an EC's office, on a job, etc. then discuss work proposals.
Newspaper ads would be "Hot Calls", but for you I would stay away from these calls as they typically are looking for someone with experience to fill a position quickly.
Many times, Ads are from Companies with very high Employee Turn-Overs, so definitely stay away from these situations!

Scott35

Sam,
Just in line what Scott35 was saying (well nearly).
Here's a little tid-bit of advice:
In two words, Be there!.
You can make all the calls and send your resum'e to all the places under the sun.
What employers want to see is motivation.
Get out there and visit some of the people that might be your future employer.
Now you might be thinking that I've got rocks in my head for suggesting this, but, I ended up serving an Apprenticeship with almost the first Company I went to check out the Vacancies with and I got to do a Line Mechanics Apprenticeship with them too.
Sure it was the local PoCo, but, the quality of training was second to none.
And another thing is the job will not come to you, you have to get out there and get it!.
Got tools?, know how to use them?, if so tell your prospective Boss this!.
Enthusiasm is what counts, these days.
Believe me mate, I train Apprentices these days, although I do not hire and fire them.
You can tell who is going to make the grade as an Electrician, in the first week!.
Hope that this advice is of use to you Sam.