Program Structure
Puget Sound Electrical JATC's Inside Wire apprenticeship covers the electrical systems in commercial and industrial buildings. Work is done inside and outside buildings in all types of weather. Apprentices work for NECA electrical contractors, supervised by qualified IBEW journey-level workers. The program consists of 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and 1,000 hours of classroom education.
Work is within the IBEW Local 46 jurisdiction: King, Kitsap, Jefferson and Clallam counties. The JATC is at 550 SW 7th Street, Renton; confirm your assigned training location. Classes run in alternating quarters. In a school quarter apprentices spend one eight-hour day a week in class and work on a job site the other workdays; in other quarters they keep working in the field.
Requirements
The program page requires applicants to be at least 18, a high school graduate or GED holder, and to have one full year of high school algebra or one quarter of college algebra with a grade of C or better. If you lack the algebra, the FAQ points to a college algebra course or the Electrical Training Alliance online Tech Math course. Send an official transcript; a diploma is not accepted as proof of graduation.
A valid driver's license is required; ID cards are not accepted. The FAQ lets out-of-state applicants apply with their home-state license, but the registered 2023 standards require a Washington license when the application is submitted, so confirm before applying from outside Washington. Out-of-state applicants may have to travel to Washington for testing or an interview. The standards require an aptitude score of 5 or higher for Inside Wireman applicants and describe separate direct-entry routes.
Application Process
New applications have been closed since May 1, 2026. There is no set date for reopening, and the JATC says it will give at least 30 days' public notice before it reopens. Applications started before May 1 are still being processed, with testing and interviews continuing.
Check the Apply Now notice for reopening news. When open, applications are online with a $75 fee paid to start; you then have 60 days to submit the required documents, or the application is closed.
What You Earn
Apprentices earn wages that rise as on-the-job hours and school benchmarks, including hands-on Craft Certification tests, are achieved. Local 46's wage report sets 1st-period pay at $32.73 an hour, 42% of the $77.93 journey rate, effective August 3, 2026. The JATC describes medical, dental and vision benefits for apprentices and their families, plus pension and 401(k) programs.
Apprentices pay for books and tuition themselves, split into two quarterly payments a year; current amounts are not published. The JATC's standards are registered with the Washington Department of Labor and Industries, approved by the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council and last amended April 20, 2023, and they include the Inside Wireman, General Electrician (01) occupation. The JATC says that after finishing the apprenticeship, passing the Washington State Electrical Journey test leads to a (01) General Journey Level Electrician certification.