Program Structure
The Electrical Training Alliance of Kern County (ETA), the Kern County Electrical JATC, offers an inside wireman apprenticeship governed by the National Electrical Contractors Association and IBEW Local Union 428. The program lasts five years and includes at least 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and more than 1,000 hours of classroom instruction. Once accepted, you are assigned to one of ETA's signatory contractors and work full time under the supervision of a state-licensed journeyman wireman. Classes are one 8-hour day every other week at the ETA, 3805 N. Sillect Avenue in Bakersfield; contractors know you will miss that workday. You start class in January or July, depending on when you are accepted. No prior electrical experience is required. ETA's jurisdiction is all of Kern County.
Requirements
At the time of application you must be at least 18, have a valid driver's license and a high school diploma or GED, and meet the math requirement: two semesters of high school Algebra 1 or higher with at least a C, or one semester of college algebra with at least a C. Completing the NJATC Online Tech Math Course also satisfies the algebra requirement. You must be able to read, write and speak English, be physically able to perform all work of the electrical trade, be available for the program with reliable transportation, and take a drug test and physical examination when required.
Application Process
ETA accepts applications online only, and any applicant who meets the minimum requirements may apply. Once you begin, you have 3 days to submit all materials, including a scanned high school transcript (an unofficial copy is accepted) and your driver's license. Staff review submitted applications every Monday. If you qualify, GAN Human Resources emails you a Personal Experience Form, which you must complete within 2 weeks; ETA then emails you an assigned date for the GAN aptitude exam. After testing, GAN ranks applicants and ETA makes its selections from that ranked list. For questions, call the front office at 661-324-0105.
What You Earn
ETA posts a starting wage of $26.39 an hour, with a raise every six months when you meet the requirements to complete the semester; it does not give an effective date for the rate. Apprentices receive full medical and dental benefits at no additional cost and begin accruing retirement benefits after the first year. Because the jurisdiction covers all of Kern County, some jobs pay sub-pay on top of wages for drive time. The apprenticeship costs the apprentice nothing: there are no fees for tuition, books or classes. ETA says its apprentices are registered with the U.S. Department of Labor and California's Division of Apprenticeship Standards; the DAS program search lists the Kern County Electrical JATC's Electrician (Inside Wireman) program at 60 months.