• Posted: November 12, 2018
• Apprenticeship Program, IBEW-NECA Technical Institute, Training

 

Before completing the rigorous training required to become one of the best electricians in the industry — including 11 weeks of training at West Side Tech in Chicago, as well as third-, fourth- and fifth- year programs spanning 1,200+ hours of in-class and hands-on learning — aspiring electricians must pass orientation. What does the process of training at our IBEW-NECA Technical Institute (IN-Tech) look like, and how should would-be electricians prepare themselves for instruction?

Working as a union electrician is no easy job — which is why orientation to become a Local 134 apprentice begins with intense physical training that mirrors on-site work conditions. Once potential apprentices are tested against the difficult physical demands of a construction job, trainees must then pass necessary health and background checks before being selected for classroom instruction. The next five years are comprised of three months of annual in-class learning and nine months of in-field contractor work that inform a lifelong career of electrical equipment assembly, installation and maintenance.

During their instruction, apprentices are educated in cutting-edge industry techniques. In addition to standard electrical work, apprentices are also trained in oft-sought critical renewable energy skills, such as solar panel installation and electric vehicle charging station installation. To that end, the 25-acre state-of-the-art IN-Tech campus includes rooftop solar panel installations, an 18-kilowatt solar carport with four electric vehicle charging stations and other on-site resources dedicated to hands-on instruction.

The reward for completing a rigorous, intensive five-year apprenticeship program? A stable and always-in-demand job with ample pay, great health benefits and a strong retirement plan. More than that, union electricians who complete their training with IN-Tech are part of a brother and sisterhood that spans an entire career.

Just ask third-year apprentice Benjamin Akwaboah, who opted for a union apprenticeship after becoming disillusioned with the training he received in a non-union orientation program. Or ask Amy Price, another third-year apprentice who felt a sense of camaraderie after connecting with instructors who are steeped in the same kinds of hands-on experience she’s learning to develop. Both agree that completing IN-Tech orientation is the first step toward becoming part of an elite community of union electricians whose projects stand above the rest and are always completed on time and on budget.