Program Structure
The South Texas Electrical JATC trains inside wireman apprentices for IBEW Local 60 and the South Texas Chapter of NECA from its training center at 2503 Blanco Rd. in San Antonio. It's a 4-year program with at least 8,000 hours on the job and at least 720 classroom hours. You attend class two days a month, September through June. A contractor employs you, and you work full time on commercial and industrial jobs. No experience is required.
You need to get to job sites anywhere in the program's jurisdiction. The JATC doesn't list that area on its own pages; Local 60 lists 24 Texas counties, including Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall and Medina.
The JATC's rules say that completing the program takes 8,000 on-the-job hours and a State of Texas Journeyman Electrician's License, so the license is a separate step, not just a certificate from the JATC. They also say you must hold a valid Electrical License issued by the State of Texas to get an on-the-job training assignment.
Requirements
You must be 17 to apply and 18 to participate, and be legally able to work in the U.S. You need a high school diploma, a GED or a college degree, plus an Algebra 1 credit or the Electrical Training ALLIANCE Tech Math course. You must be able to do the physical work and pass a drug test.
Bring a valid photo ID, a certified birth certificate or Social Security card, an official transcript showing Algebra I, your diploma or GED, and a DD214 if you're a veteran. The JATC has to verify original documents.
Application Process
Applications are accepted year-round, online or in person, for a $28 fee. After your documents are in, you're scheduled for the aptitude test, typically held on the second Monday of the month. It covers algebra and functions and reading comprehension, and you need a score of 4 to move on. Oral interviews are typically on the fourth Tuesday of the month at the training center. Applicants are then ranked, and offers go out monthly in ranked order. The JATC says the process takes 4 to 6 weeks.
Some applicants, such as certain veterans and people with 2,000 hours of electrical construction work, qualify for a direct interview. The qualifications page says they still take the test but can't be disqualified by the score. The notice requires Job Corps applicants to get a qualifying score.
What You Earn
The Local 60 inside wireman wage sheet for July 6, 2026 to May 30, 2027 lists first-period apprentices at $19.79 an hour and journeymen at $38.80. The first-period total package is $27.45 an hour with benefits. Benefits include healthcare, a pension, a 401(k) and a vacation fund. The JATC promotes a career without student debt but doesn't publish a tuition figure. Its rules say registration fees vary from year to year, you get books and materials from the JATC, and you must carry a required set of hand tools.