Program Structure
Portland Electrical JATC (the IBEW Local 567 Portland Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee) runs an electrician apprenticeship that combines paid work for the local's signatory contractors with classroom instruction. Despite the Portland name, classes are typically held at the IBEW 567 Union Hall, 238 Goddard Road, Lewiston. Maine's Department of Labor lists the sponsor at that address for statewide apprenticeships in electrician and telecommunications installer occupations; this listing covers the electrician route.
The sponsor describes 720 hours of classroom instruction, completed over three years, and 8,000 hours of on-the-job experience and training. The three years describe the classroom sequence, not a guaranteed finishing date for the work hours. Classes are three-hour sessions twice a week, with an occasional Saturday. Apprentices work alongside experienced journeymen.
Requirements
The sponsor lists typical qualifications: a high school diploma, GED, associate degree or higher, with official transcripts; one full year of high school algebra or one year of post-high-school algebra with a passing grade; a driver's license or state identification; a passed drug test and admittance exam; and the ability to work in a physically demanding environment. Applicants must be at least 17 to apply and 18 at indenture, and they qualify for an interview through an electrical aptitude test. Veterans submit a DD-214 to have military training considered.
Applicants with documented 8,000 hours in electrical construction, or 4,500 hours as a residential wireman under an IBEW/NECA contractor, do not need to meet the education and algebra items. The sponsor also says Maine requires an apprenticeship license and background check on the way to journeyman; ask the JATC about timing and fees.
Application Process
Applications are closed. The sponsor says they reopen November 2, 2026. When they do, create an account through the TradeSchool link on the official apprenticeship page. The inquiry form on the same page only requests information; it is not an application. Call 207-786-9770 with questions. Selection, work placement and the class start date are confirmed separately.
What You Earn
Apprentices earn wages while working for signatory contractors and receive scheduled raises as they progress; the sponsor says health insurance and retirement benefits begin immediately. No dated wage scale is published, so ask for current rates. Classroom instruction is tuition-free for three years, but application, license, book and tool costs are not published; confirm them before committing. Completing the apprenticeship does not itself issue an electrician license.