THE CLEVELAND ELECTRICAL INSIDE WIREMAN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
The terms Journeyman, Journeyman Wireman, and Craftsmanship, as used in this booklet, are meant to define a recognized level of competency and include both male and female.
The science of electricity is constantly expanding at an ever-increasing rate. From its inception, the electrical industry has kept pace with new technologies and is now part of the largest industry in the United States. This rapid expansion means that the electrical apprentice must be given sound basic training in the knowledge of the trade, supplemented by sufficient instruction in the theories of electrical science.
The electrical trade is unique in that it is mechanical, technical and professional. To meet industry demands, it is essential for the electrical industry to select applicants who will develop the skills and proficiently perform the necessary trade functions. The industry must select and train individuals who will diligently work and study to stay abreast of current and future emerging technologies.
The Electrical Industry by its very nature, places a high degree of personal responsibility on each individual. While supervision is most often provided on the job, the electrical worker is constantly called upon to make decisions concerning proper performance methodology.
Today’s electrical installations are very complex and highly sophisticated. Faulty installations often prove to be expensive and extremely hazardous. Much of the complex wiring involved in the work is hidden from view when the job is completed; any defect in this hidden work can cause serious damage and prove to be extremely costly. The well-trained electrical worker takes pride in the appearance of their work, and in its technical correctness and structural soundness.
The Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC), representing the parties to the local Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) – The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) – has dedicated it’s time to develop an efficient training program so the apprentice can, through a systematic program of schooling and on-the-job training, become a well-qualified electrical worker. The degree of success the JATC has in its operation will depend entirely upon the willingness of all local parties of the electrical industry to cooperate in this joint activity. Quality training remains a high priority with the IBEW and NECA.
All functions of the JATC shall be on the basis of a nonprofit endeavor. The JATC will adopt and promote nationally developed Apprenticeship Standards and Curricula to insure quality apprenticeship and training for the industry in the best interest of the apprentice, management, labor, the customer and the public.
The work of Electrical Construction Workers (Inside Wiremen) can be divided into broad categories such as new construction, remodeling, maintenance, and repair. While the jobs differ, the mental and physical skills that are acquired in a properly designed and administered training program prepare the electrical worker for this entire range of work. During a career as an electrical construction worker, a person will likely be involved in many different types of jobs presenting many new and different challenges, working with his or her hands as well as with their mind. Much of the work involves installation, assembling, testing, repairing, layout, and design of electrical wiring, fixtures, and apparatus used for power, light, heating, air conditioning, and many types of control systems. Many jobs now incorporate computers and fiber optics. Due to the nature of the work, good math and reading skills are essential. The trade, at times, requires considerable physical effort for lifting, carrying materials, ladders, and tools, and climbing ladders and scaffolds. Copies of the job description are available on request.
The Electrical Construction Apprenticeship Program of the Cleveland Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (CEJATC) is sponsored by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 38 and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), Greater Cleveland Chapter. It is a five-year program consisting of on-the-job training with contractors’ signatory to Local 38 and related instruction at the IBEW/NECA Training Center in Valley View, Ohio. The apprenticeship program is registered with the U. S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, and the Ohio State Apprenticeship Council. We are affiliated with the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee for the Electrical Industry.
The five-year apprenticeship is divided into ten periods. Advancement in period, and its increase in pay rate, is based on satisfying the previous period’s requirements for on-the-job training hours, on-the-job performance, and related instruction. Pay rates for apprentices are based on percentage of the journey level worker’s rate of pay, starting at 35 percent then increasing an additional 5 percent each period (40%, 45%, 50%, etc.). The current starting pay rate is $13.35 per hour. (This rate is subject to change dependent on changes in the collective bargaining agreement.) A comprehensive benefit package that includes health care and pension covers the apprentice once he or she becomes eligible, usually within three to four months.
Upon completion of the apprenticeship, the apprentice will have received a minimum of 8000 hours on-the-job training and 820 hours of related training at the Training Center. Apprentices are concurrently enrolled in the Associate of Technical Studies (Area of Concentration: Construction Electricity) at Northwest State Community College. A Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship is issued by the State of Ohio recognizing the Program Graduate as a Journeyperson Electrician. College credit is also awarded for successful completion of course work.
The procedure for the selection of an apprentice class consists of: (1) completing the application process, includes obtaining a qualifying score on the aptitude test, (2) the interview, (3) establishing the scores of those who are interviewed and placement on the list of applicants eligible for selection, and finally (4) the selection of apprentices. Those who qualify and are interviewed will remain on the eligibility list for two (2) years from their interview date. Selected applicants, who are determined to be free of substance abuse, are assigned to contractors for on-the-job training and receive related instruction at the IBEW/NECA Training Center.
The following are minimum qualifications for the program:
- At least 18 years of age (or 17 years and a high school graduate).
- High school graduate, have a GED, or have an associate or higher degree.
- Have a qualifying score of ‘4’ on the electrical trade’s aptitude test developed and validated by the American Institutes for Research. Applicants are scheduled for the aptitude test upon receipt of all required documentation and the processing fee.
- Have a valid driver’s license and reliable transportation to get to any point within the Program’s geographical jurisdiction at any time. The jurisdiction is all of Cuyahoga County and the townships of Bainbridge, Chester, and Russell in Geauga County, and Columbia in Lorain County.
- Must be physically able to perform electrical construction work.
- Have the legal right to work in the United States.
Applicants with bona fide Electrical Construction training and work experience may qualify for an oral interview solely by providing undisputable documented evidence verifying a minimum of four thousand (4000) hours in the trade. Ask for the information sheet listing the requirements.
Individuals with military technical training and a MOS applicable to the electrical construction trade and can document a minimum of two years military experience in that MOS will qualify for an oral interview to be considered with other qualified applicants. (Helmets to Hardhats Program)
The Committee will interview only those who complete the application process within 60 days and receive a qualifying score on the aptitude test. The process consists of:
- Filling out an online application form on the CEJATC Training Center Web-site. (www.cejatc.org)
- A sequential application number is assigned at that time and instructions on how to complete the process are given.
- Uploading proof of high school graduation (a copy of the diploma or a letter directly from the high school verifying graduation), proof of graduation with an associate degree or higher from a state or nationally accredited institution, or GED.
- Uploading an official high school, college, and GED transcripts verifying meeting the educational requirements to your online application. Supporting high school transcripts must also be submitted for applicants with GED’s. However, copies of certificates for adult education courses and the like (will be accepted from the applicant. A copy of Form DD214 must be uploaded as proof of any related military training. Transcripts received before an application form is filled out are not accepted or returned.
- Proof of being at least 18 years of age (or 17 years and a high school graduate). A birth certificate or other official birth document is required.
- The processing fee of $30 will be paid online when the online application is submitted. The processing fee is forfeited if the all required documentation is not submitted by the designated deadline.
- Achieving a qualifying score on the electrical trade’s aptitude test developed and validated by the American Institutes for Research. Testing will be arranged by the CEJATC. This test can only be taken once within a six-month period for all IBEW/NECA related programs. If you have taken the test for any other IBEW/NECA Program within the last six months, please notify this program of that fact; we will obtain the score and apply it to your application. Failure to do so may result in permanent disqualification.
All documents become the property of the CEJATC and cannot be returned. Transcripts, documentation, or fees received after the deadline stated on the Application Process Checklist will be returned.
IMPORTANT: The order by which qualified applicants are interviewed is determined by the date that all parts of the application process are completed. Therefore, submitting all transcripts, documentation, and fees promptly is very important. It is advisable to call to check the online status of your application at least two weeks before your designated deadline to verify receipt of documentation and processing fee by the Training Center.
Selection of entrants to the Apprenticeship Program is made on qualification alone without regard to race, creed, gender, age, color, or national origin.
The candidates selected for the Apprenticeship are determined by interview score, starting with the highest composite interview score. The Industry’s needs determine the number of apprentices accepted into the Program at that time. Interviewed applicants will remain on an active list, subject for selection, for a period of two (2) years from the date of the last interview.
All who are selected to enter the apprenticeship are required to pass a substance abuse screening.
Apprentices have two financial obligations: tuition and book fees. Tuition is $110 per semester, payable in full at the beginning of each semester. Book fee for the First Year of apprenticeship is about $750. Subsequent years range from about $500 to $900.
Complete copies of the Registered Standards, Affirmative Action Plan, and Selection Procedure are available for review on request. Copies of the Job Description for Inside Wireman are also available on request.
NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS
The Cleveland Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students of the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies and other school administered programs.
