Program Structure
Independent Electrical Contractors Rocky Mountain (IECRM) runs a four-year electrical apprenticeship for Colorado and Wyoming. Most apprentices work full-time for an electrical contractor during the day and attend class once a week, 5:30–9:30 p.m., from August to May. Classes meet at the Northglenn main campus, Fort Collins, South Denver (DCSD Legacy Campus in Parker) and Cheyenne (Laramie County Community College), or live online with an instructor; online students need a computer or tablet with a camera.
IECRM says apprentices need 576 classroom hours to earn a program certificate from the Colorado State Apprenticeship Agency. Colorado's journeyman exam has its own experience and classroom-hour requirements, so completing classes does not by itself license you.
Requirements
No electrical experience is required. IECRM recommends a high school diploma or GED and asks candidates to have reliable transportation and be physically able to do the work. You must score at least 70% on its pre-algebra math assessment; anyone below 70% takes a three-night, 12-hour math module ($140) and retests. For the State Apprenticeship Agency program, the employing contractor must be an IECRM member in good standing, and apprentices must be enrolled in classes and submit on-the-job training reports monthly. The SAA program is only available to Colorado and Wyoming contractors.
Application Process
If you already work for an electrical contractor, the employer registers you through IECRM's FlashPoint system. Without an employer, you can register for school yourself through the self-pay form, and the Training Department follows up; IECRM can help you find work through its job board, career fairs and hire list. Joining the hire list does not register you for classes.
Open enrollment for new first-year students runs mid-June to mid-July, and classes start in August. A late-start option for first-year students opens in late August or early September; this year's late-start registration closed September 18, with classes beginning the week of October 5.
What You Earn
Your employer pays your wages. IECRM says entry wages depend on experience, typically start at the local minimum wage, and rise periodically based on performance. Tuition is charged per semester, two semesters a year: $600–$700 at member rates and $900–$1,000 at non-member rates, depending on registration timing. Books cost $450–$650 a year and are not included. Many contractors reimburse tuition and books, up to 100%, but self-pay students are charged the non-member rate. Tuition assistance is available for unemployed students. IECRM describes its program as recognized by Apprenticeship Colorado, the State Apprenticeship Agency, and the U.S. Department of Labor; this is the sponsor's statement.