Program Structure
The Northern Nevada Electrical Training Center (NNETC) is run by the Northern Nevada Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, a labor-management committee of the IBEW and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) that trains members of IBEW Local 401. Its Inside Wiremen apprenticeship lasts five years. Apprentices earn wages and benefits while they learn, combining skill training on the job with trade-related classroom training. Inside wiremen install conduit, wiring, fixtures and electrical equipment in commercial buildings and industrial settings. NNETC is at 4635 Longley Lane, Suite 108, in Reno. It does not publish the program's total work or classroom hours.
Requirements
NNETC lists the requirements typical for IBEW/NECA apprenticeship programs: minimum age 18, a high school education, one year of high school algebra, a qualifying score on an aptitude test, and being drug free. Its application FAQ asks for proof of age, proof of completing high school, an official high school transcript, verification of at least one year of high school algebra with a passing grade, a birth certificate or passport, your work history or resume, proof of a valid driver's license, and a DD-214 if you are a veteran.
Application Process
You apply online. Create a user account; once it is confirmed, log in and open the Application tab. When NNETC has your application and all supporting documents, it schedules you for an aptitude test: the GAN test, a roughly 2.5-hour exam with sections on basic math, numerical reasoning, reading comprehension, paper folding and mechanical reasoning. Your test and evaluation scores are totaled and you are placed on a waiting list ranked by score. NNETC fills apprentice classes from the top of the list as its contractors need apprentices. It says it is impossible to predict how long you will wait, and each new group of test-takers can move you down the list. NNETC does not post application dates. For questions, call 775-358-4301.
What You Earn
NNETC's website says apprentices earn wages and benefits while they learn, but it does not publish wage rates, tuition, fees or book costs. The JATC's Inside Wireman standards, posted by the Nevada State Apprenticeship Council, set the journey-level rate at $52.00 an hour and the first pay period at 45% of it; the JATC's state wage form lists that first-period rate as $23.40 an hour. Pay then rises to 50%, 55%, 60%, 70% and 85% of the journey-level rate ($44.20 an hour in the sixth period) at 1,000, 2,000, 3,500, 5,000 and 6,500 on-the-job hours, and you must also complete the required related training to advance. These are hourly wages before benefits; the wage form lists fringe benefits separately, from $9.24 an hour in the first period. Neither document states the date the rates took effect. Nevada's current apprenticeship program list includes IBEW Electrical Local #401 (program NV002460001) for the electrician occupation, covering Washoe, Carson, Churchill, Douglas, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Pershing, Storey and White Pine counties.