Program Structure
The Central California Electrical Training Institute (CCETI) in Fresno is jointly sponsored by IBEW Local 100 and the National Electrical Contractors Association, and serves Fresno, Madera, Kings and Tulare counties. Its Inside Wireman apprenticeship is a five-year program of classroom instruction and paid on-the-job training on construction sites. Apprentices must complete at least 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and at least 900 classroom hours, at least 180 of them each year. You may be assigned to work anywhere in the four counties. The training center is at 5420 E. Hedges Ave., Fresno.
Requirements
You must be at least 18 and provide a high school or post-high-school transcript showing at least one year of algebra or higher math; CCETI's application steps ask for two semesters with a grade of C or better. You also need an official photo ID, GED records or a DD-214 if they apply to you, and the ability to work for approved employers in Fresno, Madera, Kings and Tulare counties.
Application Process
CCETI accepts applications online at any time. Create an account on its application site and complete every step within 30 days: the online forms and acknowledgements, document uploads, and GAN's Personal Experience Form, where you document your work hours, education, training, military service and any certificate programs. A letter of recommendation is not required but counts toward your score if you upload one. You are then scheduled for the next GAN aptitude test at CCETI; the application page says in one place that the test is given monthly and in another that it is held quarterly. Your score of 0 to 100, from the test, the Personal Experience Form and your letter, ranks you on CCETI's eligibility list. CCETI hires year-round from the top of the list, and you stay on it for up to one year; if you are not hired, you may reapply. For problems with the application, call 559-251-5174, ext. 1.
What You Earn
Apprentice pay is a percentage of the journeyman rate: 45% in the first period (the first 1,000 hours of on-the-job training), rising in steps to 90% in the tenth period (7,250 to 8,000 hours) as you complete hours and school. IBEW Local 100 says the apprenticeship is free to the apprentice because the cost is built into the wage package its employers pay. California's Division of Apprenticeship Standards lists the program for the Inside Wireman (Electrician) occupation, with a 60-month program length.