There has been a major downturn in electrical contracting firms taking on apprentices. This year worse than ever! I put this down to a number of factors but perhaps primarily it is due to large contractors scaling down to become managers only. Less use of direct labour and increasing use of labour only sub-contractors.
What is the current situation in your country?
(I am in Ireland)

I work as a Journeyman Industrial Electrician in a large factory by St. Louis, Missouri. I was one of several hired without going through an apprenticeship program. The company stopped the program in 1994. I'm not sure why but I've heard rumors about lost federal funding.

I think this will be a huge loss for the future of the company and for younger electricians trying to make a career. The company will not hire unless you have 6 years industrial electrician background. Kind of a catch-22. How do you get 6 years without being hired?

I know first hand how hard it is not only to find work as an industrial electrician but to get training for it. I've moved to different states just to stay in my field. I even took a two dollar an hour cut in pay and lost all my benefits just to stay in my profession. Hope I don't sound like I'm bragging but I don't see that devotion from some of the younger generation. But that was probably said about my generation too!LOL. To get my degree, I worked straight days and went to college 4 hours a night. 4 days a week for 2 years straight with no breaks. It sucked but I'm glad I did it.

I wish I could have went through an apprenticeship program. I'm not saying it would be any less demanding but I'm still paying off all the college courses I've taken. Some of the older electricians at work were hired straight out of high school, got paid while getting their training, and had full benefits the whole time! That's the way it should be but companies don't want to pay for it.

Times are defintely changing too. My company keeps buying new machines that require an engineering degree just to work on them. But they won't train us either. I guess they figure we will get the training on our own with our funds.

I'll stop now because I could go on forever!

Lyle,
It seems like every time there is a slow-down in trade, anywhere, it's always the apprentices that wear it, (last on first off thing).
This way of thinking needs to be changed around, how about sending a few of the older qualified staff down the road?, as they have thier qualifications and should find no problems in getting another job.
Whereas an Apprentice who has been in the Trade for say, 6 months, may never find another firm to join up with, a REAL shame I say.
DUGMAZE,
Coming from an Industrial background,
it's hard to get this sort of training and this probably why we are now screaming out for GOOD Industrial Tech's over here in NZ.
This sort of thing only features when we have a shortage of staff, guess why?.

Our apprenticeship program is 4yr long. I worked in the trade 10yr before I got my ticket. Companies here are reluctant to sign them on because they would rather pay an electrical labourer for 40yr than 'raise' him to journeyman in 4.