Apprenticeship
The IBEW CCO locals provide the best possible training to our apprentices. Our industry-leading education program ensures an IBEW apprenticeship completion rate of 95% or better¹, when the non-union completion rate is 58%².
Unlike non-union apprenticeships, IBEW locals and their ECAO contractors work together to provide apprentices with a positive experience. We support apprentices with:
- Mentoring
- A managed process that ensures training is progressing at a reasonable pace
- Pre-exam courses
- Pre-college preparation
- Timely registrations
- Salary and benefit increases as per the collective agreement
NextGen clubs within the locals provide additional support and friendship for the younger workforce. They are organized and run by members under the age of 35. You can learn more about NextGen here >
It all adds up to a better apprenticeship and better future.
Is an Electrical Career Right for You?
Electricians do complex, difficult work in all kinds of environmental conditions. Our construction and maintenance electricians can work in the freezing cold of winter and the stifling heat of summer. Our powerline technicians venture out into storms any time of day or night to repair downed power lines.
An electrical career is as rewarding as it is challenging. We constantly hear from our members that they enjoy “it’s something different every day” and that they feel immense pride in a job well done. Electricians drive by the hospitals, schools, or power plants they’ve worked on and think, “I helped build that!”
Here’s what it takes to be a great electrician:
- Good grades in high school physics, math, and English
- A willingness to work in the outdoors and at heights
- Take your responsibilities seriously
- A desire to work with your hands
- A love of problem solving
- Be a team player
If this sounds like you, you may be a great candidate for an electrical apprenticeship. As an apprentice, you’ll earn as you learn, with your salary increasing as your knowledge and experience progresses. Learn more in this PDF >>
How to Become an Electrical Apprentice
In a nutshell, an apprenticeship will last about 5 years, with periods of on-the-job training alternating with college terms.
To become a registered electrical apprentice contact the IBEW local in the area you reside.
Contact the Local in Your Area for More
Information on Becoming an Apprentice
Niagara (St. Catharines) Local 303
Visit Website: ibewlocal303.com
Niagara (St. Catharines) Local 303
Email info@ibewlocal303.com
Greater Toronto Local 353
Visit Website: www.electricalapprenticeship.ca
Footnotes
- Internally reported by the various locals.
- See “Completion Counts: Raising Apprenticeship Completion Rates in Ontario’s Construction Industry”, by Sean W. Strickland for the Ontario Construction Secretariat“, Figure 4, page 23: https://www.ifebp.org/inforequest/ifebp/0165085.pdf.