The IBEW electrical apprenticeship is a joint program between the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA).

Apprenticeship programs are designed to have students work and go to school at the same time. This allows students to make a living, learn valuable on-the-job experience, and complete the education requirements needed to become a Journeyman Wireman.

•  Apprentices earn while they learn. This means they earn a livable wage while learning their trade.
•  Excellent wages and scheduled raises upon completing certain parts of your apprenticeship.
•  State-of-the-art training and opportunity to learn all aspects of the electrical industry.
•  Healthcare and retirement benefits (after reaching a certain amount of working hours)
•  Safer working conditions and job placement throughout your career.

Participating in a registered apprenticeship with the IBEW means becoming a life-long, card-carrying, dues-paying member of a prestigious union, where you will receive all the benefits and collective bargaining rights that come along with it.

Applications are accepted all year and must be completed online through the YJATC website.
If you do not have access to a computer the YJATC can provide computer access for online applications on the first Wednesday of each month. Call 330-965-0578 to set-up an appointment.

Applicants for the Youngstown Area JATC apprenticeship program must meet specific criteria to qualify. They must:

• Be at least 17 years of age (to apply)
• Be a high school graduate or have a GED, or have at least a two-year associate’s degree
• Provide a high school diploma or official transcript for high school and post-secondary education and training or an official copy of a GED certificate and transcripts, if applicable
• Possess a valid driver’s license
• Meet minimum requirements by taking an aptitude test

Required documents:

1. Online application

2. Testing fee ($30)

3. A valid driver’s license or State ID

4. A signed transcript with a passing grade in algebra.

Click here to learn more about the apprenticeship program and to apply

Transitioning from the classroom into the actual workplace is exciting. As you begin your on-the-job training you can expect to start with the basics.

The wide range of skills you learn on the job as part of your apprenticeship and training program could include:

• Installing residential, commercial, and industrial wiring systems
• Reading and understanding blueprints and schematics
• Working with systems that involve differing voltages
• Repairing and installing electrical machinery
• Using voltmeters, ammeters, harmonics testers, and ohmmeters
• Installing fuses and circuit breakers
• Learning how to inspect a completed electrical system
• Replacing new circuit breaker boxes

Your on-the-job training will take place in a wide variety of settings, which will have a significant bearing on what you learn. Examples of different locations include:

• City utility companies
• Military contractors
• Manufacturing factories
• Arenas and coliseums
• Construction companies
• Internet and telephone companies
• Power plants, including solar
• Hospitals, schools, and prisons
• Government offices
• Residential Developments

As you progress through the weeks and months of your apprenticeship program you’ll learn skills that become increasingly more complex and technical in nature, building on what you have already mastered. Your classroom-based and on-the-job training is divided into relevant segments that will eventually cover all of the important knowledge and skills you need to become a quality wireman.

Let’s kick off with simple abilities and personal likes/dislikes that can affect your contentment in the electrical trade.

Can you say YES to the following?

I …

- have good eyesight and can see colors clearly
- don’t mind driving to various locations during the day
- will be able to work in heat, cold, rain, or snow
- can grasp, manipulate, and assemble small objects
- don’t mind heights and can work on a ladder or aerial lift
- am comfortable enough in tight places such as attics or crawl spaces
- can lift and move heavy objects
- have a mechanical aptitude
- can work both independently and as part of a team

The work can be strenuous with long days on your feet. Because there’s a risk of burns, cuts, electrical shocks, and falls from ladders or scaffolding, you will be required to comply with strict safety guidelines. Working as an electrician requires a strong work ethic and a positive attitude to be successful.

Well – it depends! But you can be sure it will fall into one or more of these categories:

Varied Work: The skills and duties can vary from day to day and job site to job site. It’s hard to get bored in this career. One day you may be on top of a building, the next under a house. Here digging a trench by hand, there running conduit through an attic. One moment helping a client decide between LED or florescent lights – next fixing a broken conduit in the middle of a parking lot. Today climbing 50 feet up scaffolding, tomorrow under a sink installing power to a disposal.

Physically Demanding Tasks: There will be times you are up and down many times on a ladder or scaffolding. Oftentimes a trench may need to be hand-dug to bring power to a home or office. The need for standing or kneeling for long stretches can be tiring as well.

Wiring: A big part of the day will be connecting wires to circuit breakers, transformers, or other components. This is where your manual dexterity comes into play. But that’s the easy part. Knowing what type, size and quantity of wire to use is the real trick.

Being Social: You will be meeting a lot of people including homeowners, entrepreneurs, and contractors. Many times workers from other trades are all striving together to complete a project. Because of this, you will need good written and verbal communication skills.

Detective Reasoning: You may need to identify defects and hazards, locate the cause of malfunctioning equipment systems, or just answer the question, “why is there no power in this room?” If you like a good mystery then you will enjoy this type of troubleshooting.

Preparing and Reading Blueprints: These show the location of wiring, equipment, outlets, fixtures, and more. Being able to prepare and read blueprints effectively will ensure that you meet building and safety codes.

Using Critical Thinking Skills: Logic and reasoning will be crucial in order to pinpoint the best way to approach a problem and implement a solution.

Making Decisions: You will look at the costs and benefits of different options and choose the most appropriate one for a given situation.

Residential apprenticeship training includes a minimum of 4800 hours of on-the-job training assignments prepared by the JATC office with contractors’ signatory to the program. Work hours are not guaranteed at a 40-hour work week; however, the JATC Committee makes every effort to keep all apprentices employed all year around.

*Classroom training starts and ends like a regular academic school year. Classes are held at the JATC Training Center generally one to two nights a week for 3 hours per night totaling 180 hours minimum per year. A lap top computer with internet access is a requirement.

Commercial apprenticeship training includes a minimum of 8000 hours of on-the-job training assignments prepared by the JATC office with contractors’ signatory to the program. Work hours are not guaranteed at a 40-hour work week; however, the JATC Committee makes every effort to keep all apprentices employed all year around.

*Classroom training starts and ends like a regular academic school year. Classes are held at the JATC Training Center generally one to two nights a week for 3 hours per night totaling 180 hours minimum per year. A lap top computer with internet access is a requirement.

In addition to providing quality electrical apprenticeship training, the Electrical Training Alliance (formally NJATC) provides continuing education and training to ensure that Journeymen possess the skills necessary to keep pace with changing technology in the electrical industry.

The alliance works directly with various equipment manufacturers and technology developers to obtain the most current information available. Once a new training need has been identified, the alliance designs an appropriate training course, provides instructor training and distributes the training materials to local JATC organizations to help them meet local training need requirements.

Local programs are training thousands of Journeyman-level workers each year and the alliance is investing millions annually to ensure that these individuals are the best-trained workers in the industry.

Open YJATC calendar for scheduled classes.