New Mexico JATC Electrical Apprenticeship Program Description Our Apprentice Wireman Program IBEW and NECA sponsor our five year program to provide motivated men and women the opportunity to learn a meaningful trade by working in the field under the supervision of a skilled craftsman, and by attending related classroom training. Apprentice electricians perform work indoors or outdoors in dirty, hot, cold, and wet environments.
Work is sometimes strenuous.
Apprentices may stand for long periods of time and frequently work on ladders and scaffolds. Injury from electrical shock, falls, and cuts must be avoided by adhering to strict safety procedures. Most assignments are a standard 40-hour week, although overtime may be required. Related Classroom Training Two-hundred and twenty hours of coursework is completed yearly at our 13,000 square foot facility on Montbel Loop in Albuquerque by each apprentice by attending six hours of class each week, with summer and holiday breaks. Apprentices are taught AC and DC electrical theory, regulations pertaining to the electrical industry, a variety of electrical systems, heating, air conditioning, alarms, use of electrical measuring devices, transformer theory, motor control, electrical distribution using switchboards, panelboards and circuit breakers, applications for commercial and industrial electrical work, and control devices.