Program Structure
Charleston Electrical Training Alliance (CETA) is an independent, non-profit training trust; IBEW members sit on its board, and it works with IBEW Local 776 and the Atlantic Coast Chapter of NECA. Its four-year apprenticeship is based on the electrical training ALLIANCE curriculum. To graduate, apprentices complete 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and eight semesters of technical instruction that mix classroom and hands-on lab work in safety, electrical theory, grounding and bonding, motors and controls, and the National Electrical Code.
CETA assigns accepted apprentices to Local 776 signatory contractors, so you do not find your own placement, and a 40-hour week is not guaranteed. Local 776's jurisdiction covers most of South Carolina, and work can be anywhere in the coastal and central regions, including Charleston, Columbia and Florence. Classes are at CETA's North Charleston training center on an academic calendar, with one semester from mid-August to mid-December and another from mid-January to the end of May. CETA's site lists 3350 Hill Park Drive in most places, but its homepage and the July 2026 state roster list 7281 Cross Park Drive, Building 200; confirm the address before you travel.
Requirements
You must be at least 18 and provide a valid state-issued driver's license, Social Security card, high school transcript, and a diploma or GED (with test scores for a GED). The FAQ also requires an algebra or higher credit. Veterans provide a DD214 and reservists a DD2384. You must be able to lift 75 pounds. After acceptance you need a negative 10-panel drug screen from a facility CETA chooses, at your own expense. No experience is required, but prior experience or instruction can be evaluated for placement or course credit.
Application Process
Applications are accepted year-round, and apprentices are selected throughout the year as on-the-job training opportunities allow. Email [email protected] to request an application packet, or start with the inquiry form on the apply page. CETA communicates by email, so allow messages from @ceta776.org. Acceptance depends on your qualifications and industry demand, and an inquiry is not an offer. Call 843-990-9984 with questions.
What You Earn
Your employer pays a wage plus health insurance and pension contributions, and raises come at set on-the-job hour benchmarks. No wage scale is published. The industry covers tuition, but each semester CETA bills an administrative fee for textbooks, online fees, shipping and consumables, generally $300 to $600. You also buy work clothes, boots and some hand tools, and pay for the drug screen. CETA says it is registered with the U.S. Department of Labor, and South Carolina's July 2026 registered-apprenticeship roster lists its electrician program. Completion and licensing are separate.