An electrical apprenticeship is a necessary step that you need to do before you can start your career as an electrician. And this is crucial since this is the phase where you acquire skills, competencies, and qualifications for you to work as a professional electronics technician, lineman, wireman, tester, etc.
So if you want to start your career journey now as an electrician, then we suggest you continue reading as we are going to share a simple guide on how to get an electrical apprenticeship in today’s article.
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Finish High School Or GED
You have to finish your high school or secure a GED (General Equivalency Diploma) before you can be eligible to enroll at technical/vocational schools or special training schools. Although there are certain exceptions, you must be able to complete this requirement since you are competing against other people who also want to become an electrician.
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Get Informed
First and foremost, you have to grasp the basics and expectations of being an electrician. So make use of all the resources you have from books to online articles, and get to know more about being an electrical apprentice you’ll be going through these “formative years” first before you can be a certified electrician.
We also recommend reaching out to a master electrician or an industry professional and get expert advice from them.
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Choose An Area Of Specialization
Being an electrician requires you to focus on a specific role. In short, you can work as a residential wireman, commercial installer, industrial technician, outside lineman, and so on. So you have to choose your area of specialization in order to determine the type of coursework you need to complete.
The years of the apprenticeship will include both theory and actual applications so your skills will be honed further in preparation for your future career. And in some US states, you have to secure an electrical apprenticeship license before starting your training. Despite this, expect your first and second year to be filled with menial tasks like fetching tools, carrying things, and cleaning up, while handling bigger responsibilities as you advance further in your journey.
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Apply For An Electrical Apprenticeship And Get Paid As You Learn
The good thing about being at this stage is that you earn as you learn, as most of the training you’ll have to do is being done on-the-job.
Being an apprentice electrician lets you earn as much as $14 per hour here in the United States, with an annual salary of $28,000, which is half of what a licensed electrician typically earns. And as you compare the cost of college education these days, you’ll find out why more and more people consider this as a practical career choice.
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Pass The Licensure Exam In Your State
And finally, you have to pass the electrical licensure exam in your state. Now, the licensing requirement may vary from one state to another. But once you’ve passed the examination, you can start earning full wages as a certified electrician.
After that, the next thing you have to do is to look for a job based on your chosen specialization. As mentioned, you can be a residential or commercial electrician and even be a lineman for a telecommunications or industrial company depending on your qualifications.
In many cases, the company will absorb you once your apprenticeship tenure is complete so you can continue working with them, but this time, you will be able to earn a full compensation that is fit to your designation as a professional electrician. But if you have other things in mind, you can still make use of your credentials to apply for an electrician job in another company.