Program Structure
IEC Texas Gulf Coast's four-year electrical apprenticeship combines full-time paid work for an IEC member contractor with related classroom instruction. To graduate you need 8,000 hours of supervised on-the-job training and 576 classroom hours, covering the National Electrical Code, OSHA safety, blueprint reading and wiring for residential, commercial and industrial work across Greater Houston. Most apprentices work Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and attend class one evening a week, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.; mid-term entrants attend two nights a week (or online). All classes are currently held at the Houston training center, 601 N. Shepherd Drive, Suite 330. Classes begin each September and January.
Requirements
You must hold a current Texas apprentice electrician license from TDLR before a contractor can hire you, and you must be employed by an IEC member contractor to enroll; IEC does not accept outside applications to its classes. Dependable transportation matters, because relying on public transportation severely limits job options. The program page says applicants must be at least 18 with a high school diploma or GED, while an April 2026 sponsor article says a diploma or GED is required if under 18; confirm the rule that applies to you. No electrical experience is needed. You supply your own hand tools from the sponsor's list, including pliers, a voltage meter, a cordless drill and a tool pouch.
Application Process
Getting hired and enrolling in class are separate steps. First apply online to TDLR for the apprentice license. Then fill out an employment application in person at the IEC office, Monday to Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or Friday 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; bring your active license and allow 15 to 30 minutes. Resumes are not accepted as applications, and applications stay active for 30 days. IEC gives you contacts for interviews with hiring members but cannot guarantee employment. Once hired, your employer's membership lets you enroll at the next class start.
What You Earn
You are a paid, full-time employee of the contractor, and raises come as you pass each semester and log required hours. The sponsor does not publish a wage scale. Training costs $882.50 per semester, with two semesters each school year. Many member contractors pay or reimburse part of the cost, but not all pay 100%, and tools are extra. TDLR lists IEC Texas Gulf Coast as electrical apprentice training program 114; the sponsor also describes its program as approved by the U.S. Department of Labor. Completion prepares you to sit for the journeyman exam; it is not a license.