Program Structure
JATC Local 26's Inside Metro apprenticeship is a five-year route to inside journeyman, with training in the Washington, DC metro and surrounding area. Roanoke and Technology Services are separate choices in the application system. The program requires at least 8,000 hours of on-the-job training under a journeyman electrician and 800 hours of classroom related instruction (the application flow chart says 720). The JATC makes all contractor placements and moves apprentices to a new contractor each year.
During the first four years, apprentices attend day school one day every two weeks, year-round, for at least 23 days a year. In the fifth year they attend one night a week from September through May and take two skill-improvement classes. The JATC lists its main facility at 4371 Parliament Place, Suite A, Lanham, and also teaches in Manassas and Roanoke, Virginia.
Requirements
Applicants must be at least 18 at entry, which is generally August of the selection year. They need a high school diploma or GED, high school transcripts or GED scores, and a passing grade in Algebra 1 or the GED equivalent. An aptitude test is required; GAN's 2026 notice dropped minimum scores and replaced the interview with its Personal Experience Form. Gather records of education, work and military service before the Personal Experience Form arrives, because points are not awarded without supporting documentation. A background check and drug test precede indenture, and apprentices provide their own transportation to job sites.
Application Process
The 2027 cycle is open. Applications close December 31, 2026, or earlier if 4,200 applications are purchased. Open a TradeSchool account, choose Inside Metro Area and pay the $125 nonrefundable processing fee. Finish the TradeSchool steps by the third Monday in January 2027 and the GAN Personal Experience Form by the third Monday in February 2027; you have two weeks from GAN's email. Aptitude testing runs from mid-February to mid-May. Applicants are ranked at the end of the cycle, and qualifiers receive a conditional offer; do not expect a selection email before August. Those left on the two-year ranked list may reapply. The JATC's older FAQ and step-by-step guide still describe a March 31 deadline, so follow the dated 2027 instructions. Questions go to [email protected] or (301) 429-2575.
What You Earn
Raises depend on completed work hours and school performance. The JATC's published scale runs from 45% ($27.90 an hour) in the first period to 80% ($49.60) in the sixth, against a journeyman rate of $62.00 an hour as of June 1, 2026, with benefits paid on top.
The JATC says there is no cost for tuition, but it may charge for books and lesson materials, and lost or damaged materials are replaced at the apprentice's expense. Apprentices who do electrical work for a non-signatory employer must reimburse training expenses. The JATC states that the program's standards are approved in Maryland, Virginia and DC. That is the sponsor's statement, not a registry check. Completing the apprenticeship does not by itself grant an electrician license.