Program Structure
Boston JATC’s five-year Electrical apprenticeship trains inside wiremen for residential, commercial and industrial electrical construction. Apprentices complete 10,000 hours of supervised on-the-job training and 1,000 hours of classroom instruction. This listing covers the electrical route, not the separate telecommunications program.
If selected, the JATC assigns you to employment with a Local 103 signatory contractor. Work takes place on actual job sites, with classes one day per week at the training center, 194 Freeport Street in Dorchester. Previous work or school experience does not provide advanced placement. Applicants must live within the Local 103 jurisdiction shown on the JATC’s town list; the training-center address is not the entire recruitment area.
Requirements
The current instructions require applicants to be 18 or older (2027 applicants must turn 18 by August 31, 2027) and a high-school diploma, GED/HiSet, or associate degree or higher by June. You must be legally eligible to work in the United States, have a valid email address, and have computer and internet access if accepted.
Applicants must attend the scheduled general aptitude test. There is no minimum score cutoff, but the score affects selection. No algebra course is listed among the requirements; the GAN test assesses basic math, reading and spatial skills. A mandatory Personal Experience Form replaces an in-person interview and documents education, work experience, transcripts and recommendations. Drug screening is required before apprenticeship and continues during training; the sponsor’s policy includes marijuana.
Application Process
The JATC's application page says 2027 applications will be accepted online from January 4, 2027 to January 29, 2027. The $50 electrical-program fee is non-refundable and is paid by credit or debit card when you apply online. Aptitude tests are usually held in March or April, and selected applicants typically start work in July or August.
Meeting the minimum requirements does not secure a place: the JATC receives more qualified applications than available jobs. Contact the training center at 617-436-0980 for application questions.
What You Earn
The JATC's rate sheet for September 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027 lists $27.51 per hour for the first electrical apprentice step, 40% of the $68.78 journeyman rate. Pay rises at 1,000-hour steps to $51.59 (75%) at step 10; steps 9 and 10 also require completing Year 4 and taking, then passing, the licensure exam. Tuition is not charged, but books and apprentice fees are approximately $1,200 per year, in addition to the application fee and union dues. This is not a zero-expense program.
Boston’s workforce report lists the electrician program as registered using Massachusetts Division of Apprentice Standards data for 2024. That historical registration evidence does not establish a current intake or grant an individual electrician license.