The following materials are available on this website:
| • Introductory Letter to Career Counselors | HTML | PDF* |
| • Electrical Industry Fact Sheet | HTML | |
| • Student Brochure | HTML | |
| • Full List of Materials in Kit | HTML | |
| • Fax Back Form | HTML |
Click here to order the entire kit for free.
*Items available in Portable Document Format (PDF) require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.
You can download this program for free at www.adobe.com.
About the Electrical and High Tech Information Systems Industry
The Industry can be broadly divided into four segments: “Inside” which includes standard electrical installation and maintenance for office buildings, retail stores, manufacturing plants, malls, and more; “Telecommunications” which includes the installation and maintenance of computer networks; internet connections; fiber optic systems; life, health, and safety equipment; and voice, data, and video systems; “Outside” which includes specialized high-voltage cabling and equipment for utilities to bring electricity from the generating plants to the consumer and low-voltage cabling and equipment for long-distance communications; “Residential” which includes electrical installations and maintenance in our homes and apartments.
The Industry has annual sales of $90 billion and employs more than 800,000 people (as of summer 2000) with more than 650,000 of them working as electrical and information systems installation professionals. It is projected that an additional 80,000 qualified professionals will be needed in the near future to perform this work safely and efficiently over the next decade.
How do they become “qualified professionals?” Our industry trains them through our apprenticeship programs: a highly respected form of specialized training which features an earn-while-you-learn approach. Apprentices receive classroom instruction and then put that instruction to work in on-the-job training. Apprentices receive continuing support on the job from qualified professionals, most of whom have earned their position through the same apprenticeship system. Apprentices in our industry’s programs earn an attractive wage (and benefits like health insurance and pension credits) for every hour they work on the job, and they can earn college credit for their training as well. Apprenticeship programs are sponsored at more than 300 locations around the country by local affiliates of the IBEW and NECA (see below) who cooperate on the national and local level to educate and train people to perform this work.
A Bright Future
Once they graduate, apprentices become qualified professionals and can look forward to a rewarding career with great pay and benefits. Electrical and technical workers have traditionally been among the highest paid professionals in the building industry. Wage rates depend on the area of the country, and range from about $13.00/hour to more than $36.00/hour. The average income for an inside electrical worker is over $44,000 a year (without overtime). In addition, our industry offers health care, pensions, and, depending on the location, other benefits as well.
And, it’s not the same old thing everyday. On any given day, IBEW members working for NECA contractors may be: troubleshooting and fixing a life-safety system in a hospital; bringing a new office building out of the ground; installing fiber optic cable to improve our nation’s Internet infrastructure; hooking up computerized controls in a factory; maintaining 13,000 volt power lines to ensure there is electricity available when it is needed; or diagnosing an electrical problem in one of your neighbors’ homes.
Our professionals say they enjoy this work. They will tell you it’s a great career because the work engages your mind. It is challenging, it can be physically demanding, but it is also rewarding. And, beyond that, our electrical and technical professionals can, and often do, become supervisors or take management positions within the companies they work for. In some cases, they even purchase the company or start a new company of their own. In one study it was found that 7 out of 10 of the owners and senior managers of electrical, line, and technical contractors started their careers as apprentices. Some may become electrical inspectors or safety professionals, some may return to school to become engineers or project managers, where credits earned under an apprenticeship program can be a real help. Others may become active in the leadership of the local or international union, still others may go to work for one of the local chapters or the national staff of the management trade association.
Our programs don’t lock people into a job, they unlock opportunities. By contacting one of our local training centers, your students can decide where they start, and more importantly, how far they want to go.
A choice of programs is available to qualified men and women. Don’t let job titles like “journeyman” fool you, many women have built successful careers through our programs, and our industry is always on the lookout for bright, capable applicants regardless of gender or any other factor. Here’s a look at what’s involved in each of the programs, including the college credits which can be earned by successfully completing the apprenticeship. The industry’s needs determine which of these programs are offered in each location and the number of apprentices needed.
- Journeyman Inside Wireman is a five year program consisting of a minimum of 8,000 hours of on-the-job training (OJT) and 1,000 hours of classroom work. The American Council on Education (ACE) will recommend as many as 58 credits toward an associate’s degree to successful graduates of this program. In some areas, the local sponsors have a relationship with a nearby community college which provides for simultaneous graduation from the apprenticeship program and the college. We are also developing a national program that will make an associate’s degree automatic for all our inside program graduates, and make the ACE credits earned in all four programs transferrable to four year colleges.
- Telecommunications Installer/Technician a three year program consisting of a minimum of 4,800 hours of OJT and 480 hours of classroom work. ACE recommends 40 credits for this program.
- Journeyman Outside Lineman this program lasts from three-and-a-half to four years with a minimum of 7,000 hours of OJT and 400 hours of classroom. It is perfect for someone who enjoys being outdoors. ACE recommends 28 credits for this program.
- Residential Wireman a three year program consisting of a minimum of 4,800 hours of OJT and 480 hours of classroom. ACE recommends 20 credits for this program.
The Sponsors of these programs are:
- NECA: National Electrical Contractors Association, this organization’s prime mission is to represent the 17,000 companies that employ IBEW workers. NECA has 118 local chapters around the country. Visit them online at www.necanet.org.
- IBEW: International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the largest electrical workers union in the world with over 800,000 members in a variety of industries and over 300,000 members in the electrical and high tech information systems industry. The IBEW has local unions in all 50 states and most large and medium sized cities. Visit them online at www.ibew.org.
- NJATC: National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee is the training arm of the IBEW and NECA. Training is offered by local JATCs, while the NJATC develops training and education programs to ensure IBEW members working under IBEW-NECA contracts are the most highly skilled and qualified electrical and technical professionals in the industry. Visit them online at www.njatc.org.
- NLMCC: National Labor-Management Cooperation Committee of the electrical industry. Under this banner NECA and the IBEW administer a number of programs aimed at improving the electrical and technical industry. Visit them online at www.thequalityconnection.org.
You’ve Got the Power:
Find Your Future in the Electrical and High Tech Information Systems Industry
Interested in an exciting, challenging, and rewarding career? Consider this:
- We pay you to learn
(while you gain real, on-the-job experience) - We pay for the training
(well, almost all of the costs anyway) - You can become a professional whose skills will always be in demand
- You can get college credits
- You can choose one of four career paths today, and from dozens of career opportunities tomorrow
- We pay you to learn
(did we say that already?)
Here’s what’s required of you:
- A high school diploma (or equivalent)
- Demonstrated ability in math and reading skills
- Good work ethics
- Be drug free (a negative reading on a drug screen)
- A willingness to learn and succeed
Do we really pay you to learn?
Yes. Our training program, known as apprenticeship, combines formal, instructor-lead classes with on-the-job experience—and you will earn an attractive wage for every hour that you spend on the job.
How much will you earn?
That depends on the program you choose and your locality. Some of the programs take three years to complete, one takes five; but you can expect to earn between $80,000 and $150,000 during the course of your apprenticeship. And you’ll receive health insurance and pension credits as well.
Who are we?
The major players in developing a workforce of highly skilled professionals in the rapidly expanding electrical power and high-tech information systems installation industry working together to connect talented students with outstanding career opportunities. We are the employers who will put you to work and the union that will represent your interests. The National Electrical Contractors Association represents more than 17,000 companies and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers has over 800,000 individuals as members. We have over 300 training centers around the country—there’s probably one near you.
Learn, earn, create your own future as an electrical power and high-tech information systems installation professional!
Is the training free?
Most of the costs of the training program are paid for by the industry. In fact, NECA-IBEW employers invest nearly $100 million each year to provide state-of-the-art training. You may have to pay some fees,buy some books, and provide yourself with certain “tools of the trade,” but in return, you will get a tremendous career education valued at tens of thousands of dollars.
Will your skills always be needed?
Absolutely. The electrical and information systems industry is large and growing. And thanks to many trends, that growth is going to continue. Houses have increased electrical needs and are becoming more reliant on complex “smart house” technologies. Businesses too are adding new technologies to compete in the world of “e-commerce.” Commercial construction (building new offices, schools, and stores, or upgrading existing ones) is expected to continue at high levels to meet growing demand. Computer chip manufacturers, as well as manufacturers in older, established industries like cars or furniture, rely on clean electricity to power their plants and modern, computerized systems to control their production lines. The electrical power “grid” that brings electricity from the generating station to our homes and businesses must be updated to meet this increased demand. And, of course, there is the Internet—creating needs for fiber optic networks to link all our homes and businesses, large and small. New technologies are always coming on line— new technologies that only qualified professionals will be able to install properly. To make sure that you are always prepared to install those new technologies, the industry also offers continuing update training.
How do you get college credits?
All four of our apprenticeship programs have been reviewed by the American Council on Education (ACE) for the awarding of college credits. These credits can be applied toward an associate’s degree at many community colleges across the country. In addition, we are working on several enhancements that will allow these credits to be applied to a four-year college degree as well!
What career paths are open to you?
We offer four different apprenticeships. After you finish your apprenticeship, you will be a qualified professional and can enjoy a long and rewarding career. But if you want, there are dozens of additional careers you can pursue — from technical to managerial to entrepreneurial. (See the CD-ROMs we have provided to your guidance counselor for more information on each of these, or visit us at www.thequalityconnection.org).
For more information
on these exciting career opportunities, visit with your guidance counselor. Ask to see our two CD-ROMs that contain more detailed descriptions. Or visit our websites.
For information on training and career opportunities, including how to contact one of our local training centers:
www.njatc.org
www.thequalityconnection.org
For information on NECA:
www.necanet.org
For information on the IBEW:
www.ibew.org
Free Materials about Careers in the Electrical Industry
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