Program Structure
The Electrical Training Institute of Indianapolis trains electricians through IBEW Local 481 and the Central Indiana Chapter of NECA. Its electrician program combines contractor employment with at least 720 hours of classroom instruction and 8,000 hours of on-the-job training. The program takes five terms, approximately five years. This listing concerns the electrician route, not the separate telecommunications, parallel or construction electrician programs.
The training center is at 1751 South Lawndale Avenue in Indianapolis. ETI starts classes up to five times a year, and selected applicants typically begin working immediately for a partner NECA contractor; an application alone is not an employment offer.
Requirements
The August 2026 handbook permits application at 17 but requires age 18 before registration and employment. It lists a high school diploma, equivalency credential or two-year associate degree, and algebra with C or better or the ETA online Tech Math course. The application page also lists proof of citizenship and a valid driver's license, and the handbook requires reliable, insured transportation and the ability to complete the program and do the work, with or without reasonable accommodation.
Official transcripts must come sealed from the school or directly through Parchment. The handbook states a minimum aptitude score of 4, while the current FAQ says there is no minimum score to move forward and only top-scoring candidates are interviewed.
Application Process
The current application page says ETI accepts applications year-round. Request an account, then complete the online application and pay the $50 fee. Official transcripts are due through the portal within 30 days, and the Personal Experience Form within 14 days of the qualification email. The in-person aptitude test and, for top scorers, an interview follow. An older page saying applications were paused until October 1 was still posted on October 6, 2026.
Applications submitted before October 1, 2026 are processed under the previous system. Applicants who are not selected must reapply. Contact [email protected] or 317-270-5282 with questions.
What You Earn
On October 15, 2026 the electrician program page listed starting pay of $22.90 per hour with annual raises and at least $48.90 after completion, without an effective date. IBEW 481 and NECA cover tuition through a scholarship; apprentices pay semester book and learning-management-system fees and sign a Scholarship Loan Agreement each calendar year.
The handbook describes apprenticeship standards registered with the U.S. Department of Labor and Form 671 enrollment in RAPIDS. This is the sponsor's account, not an independent registry check, and completion does not itself issue an electrician license.