Moraine Park Technical College’s ABC Construction Electrician Apprenticeship program allows students to gain on-the-job training while turning their passion into a career.
About the Program
Combining hands-on work with in-classroom training, the ABC Construction Electrician Apprenticeship program from MPTC teaches students the fundamentals of electrical systems. If you enjoy working in a variety of facilities and atmospheres, becoming an electrician could be the path for you. Electricians deal with diverse and constantly changing work, but what remains the same is the work they do to plan, diagram, repair and install electrical fixtures.
What You’ll Learn
Students in this program work alongside journeyman electricians in the field to practice and learn electrical skills. Apprentices earn cash while working on real jobsites to assemble, wire and install electrical systems that operate heating, lighting, power, air conditioning and refrigeration components. They also work with electrical machinery, electronic equipment and controls.
Graduates of the program are prepared to install electrical piping, interpret blueprints, and understand OSHA and National Electric Code. They will also know how to utilize tools of electrical trade and test circuits to ensure safety and compatibility.
Electricians need to be informed about the latest energy conservation technology and green sustainable work processes.
Training Period
The electrician apprenticeship consists of five years of not less than 8,400 hours in which a minimum of four years and 576 hours is spent in paid-related classroom instruction and 200 hours of unpaid-related instruction.
Apprentices attend class one day every other week for eight semesters. Apprentices shall obtain certification in First Aid and CPR and a minimum of a 10-Hour Safety course during the first 12 months of the contract. First Aid and CPR certifications must be kept current. The apprentice is required to take Arc Flash by the end of the second year and the Transition to Trainer course in the final year of the apprenticeship.
The apprentice must complete satisfactorily 200 hours of unpaid school hours, as prescribed by the ABC of WI Apprenticeship Advisory Committee. The apprentice shall obtain at least 45 hours per year in unpaid related instruction. The 200 hours of unpaid related instruction must include Electrical code (30 hours minimum), Arc Flash (4 hours minimum), and an Electrical Exam Prep Course.
Working Conditions
Electricians must have a moderate level of physical strength and be able to stand for long periods of time. They must be able to work in cramped and uncomfortable positions. Since their work is mostly indoors, electricians are less exposed to inclement weather than many other construction workers. The ability to decipher different colored wires is required.
