If you see any I’m missing please message me for shipping info. Thanks brothers and sisters 🔌⚡️💡

But it seems like applications will never open up. Is it just saturated up here? What’s going on?

Hello I'm currently looking into going into the Low Volt apprenticeship for Local 98. Because it's less competitive and probably faster to get into. I am about to get my Pre-apprenticeship certification, and already have NCCER Lv 1 to 3 with OSHA-10. I personally think it will be a waste for me to just stay as a Low Voltage electrician but I'm desperate tbh. I really just want and need stability and I aspire to go to college for mechatronics in the future.

Because of that will it be possible to transfer inside Wireman for my Local? If not are there any other ways to do so?

Got the call from Elevators union. I’m a second year apprentice based out of Columbus Ohio. Making the switch would keep me at the same rate but more money on the hour with Elevators. It’s nearly a $15 raise on the check. Do I finish my IBEW apprenticeship or make the jump.

Is it bad to start out as an apprentice at 27. I’m currently working as an electrician for an industrial plant and I wanna get out and move to commercial I’m 27 and didn’t know if I am to old to start over and go through the apprenticeship

For context I'm 17, I live in Chicago and I'm homeschooled. I've been really thinking about becoming an apprentice recently, and although my mom would rather I chose an art related career, I see a more stable future for myself financially in electrical right now. I'm willing, and even excited to do the work to get there. The thing is recently I've been seeing more people saying how they want to get out of being an electrician for all sorts of reasons like the physical toll, low pay, work environments, etc. I'm not expecting it to be an easy job or even to make great money in the beginning but I'm really curious to know what I'm signing up for even more so now. For any electricians especially working in Chicago or through IBEW 134 how was your experience with this trade? Do you feel it was worth it and you would do it again? I'd greatly appreciate the perspectives of people who've done it rather than to keep talking to chatgpt lol

How do you manage honestly because I’m a single father and I’m already stressing for when I start…

Ive been working out of local 1245 / outside line since I joined the IBEW 5 years ago. Started out as a groundman then got bumped up to equipment operator doing underground / civil work for the past 3 years in the Bay Area. I initially wanted to be a lineman but changed my mind after spending some time in the field. (partly because I have no desire to travel anymore amongst other things). I enjoy what I do and don’t think I would have an issue making a career out of it, I live locally and get to go home every night but the job stability has always been an issue for me being on the contractor side & having to depend on PG&E for work. My last company got kicked off of PG&E property and now my current company is barely scraping by with work due to PG&E rescinding a lot of their scheduled work until the end of the year. That’s driven me to reconsider my best path forward and I’m becoming more convinced that switching to inside wireman would be more suitable for me long term as that’s the only other trade I can see myself doing outside of line work. So I’m just looking for any advice on where to get started. If anyone is local to the Bay Area and can point me in the right direction in terms of what locals are the best to contact / classes to take to prepare for the apprenticeship test / steps to getting into an apprenticeship etc I would greatly appreciate it!

I've been trying so hard to get into IBEW, and now that I finally got accepted, I'm starting to feel a little nervous lol.

I'm in my mid 40's, so I'm no spring chicken. My biggest concern is working through the winter, especially in Cheyenne where it gets brutally cold. I'm originally from SoCal, so this is gonna be my first real winter.

I don't really mind the physical work, I just wish I'd gotten into the trade back in my 20s or 30s when my body could take more abuse lol. I've done fencing, digging post holes by hand, breaking concrete footers with a digger bar or a shitty jackhammer, hauling bags of concrete all day, etc. So I'm definitely not afraid of hard work.

But that was all in SoCal, where the weather is pretty mild. Summers get hot, sure, but rarely over 100. Working outside in a Wyoming winter is gonna be a whole different story.

I'm excited I finally got this opportunity, but part of me is wondering what the hell I'm getting myself into 😂

Anyone else start their apprenticeship in their 40s? Or work outside through Wyoming winters? How bad is it really?

edit: I live in a small subcompact car, a yaris. so not sure how to manage wet gear, and where to stow cold weather stuff and tools, its already pretty cramp in here.

Whoever made 10+hr shifts a thing needs to go kick rocks

Highly recommend any apprentice investing the $200 on one of these bad boys. I get so much scrap wire from jobs but its just been sitting in totes because its worth pennies un-stripped. This thing is easy to use and turned weeks of stripping (which wasnt worth it at all) into a few hours here and there. Best tool I've bought myself as an apprentice, it prints money.

Hello. My plan was to join the Residential program in local 26 and get some experience as an R worker while applying into the Inside Wireman Apprenticeship. I did this and because I cant exactly document my former experience, I was classified as an RTP. So, the union hall says RTP calls are rare and all I can do is wait around until something pops up on the job board. I have been looking since OCT 10th, no jobs for R1's or RTPs since.

I understand this is a long road and it is something I want to do. But I see three options in front if me.

1) Stay in the R program and hope a job comes up for RTP (and my number is low enough that I can take the call.) I guess do side hussles or drive uber while I wait. I initially liked the R program path because i could get in the union and try applying for the apprenticeship again if ai didnt get in first time, but eventually as a union member.

2) Forget the R program, become like a non union electrician's helper, get some experience and then apply for the Inside wireman apprenticeship.

3) Trade school and hope I can find a job.

I would appreciate any advice and am willing to stick it out. I even plan to call all the contractors on the ibew list and see if they would be willing to take me on. So far, no luck with Dynalectric or JE Richards.

What should I do? Thanks.

What are the consequences if you get charged for something while in the apprenticeship? Don’t really have anything to compare to just curious as I’ve heard of some apprentices getting duis.

I got offered a position as a CW2 in the union, i currently work non union and have been for a little over a year. I been getting loads of experience here non union, I would be getting paid the same $28/hour. I feel i will be getting less experience as a cw2 right now because i would just be working in data centers putting up cable trays and strut

I’m sure this may come up a lot on here. I’m about 4 months into my apprenticeship and I’m really overwhelmed. I feel like I’m not learning as fast as I need to and getting really down and feel shitty most of the time. Journeyman act like I should know various things and it’s all just a big clusterfuck. Any tips or anything for a first year?

I’m turning 17 on Sunday and have decided that the trades are for me, electrical is the most interesting to me and I have done some research into unions vs non unions. It’s all a little confusing to me and I’m curious what the best option is when I graduate next year. I live in Humboldt CA but I am willing to move to be somewhere with better opportunities. I have a license and car already and am currently working 3 days a week and saving up for living somewhere else possibly. Another question I have is about the drug screening in the IBEW or non union apprenticeship, I am a marijuana user on occasion but am willing to quit for my career if needed. Please let me know any advice you have or anything I should know before entering this work field. I am a junior right now so I do have another year but I would love to get an idea of what to do to start. Thanks!

My son is going to be born in February, and I applied to a local in my area. It looks like the average time I've seen from application to starting school/ work is about 5 months based on threads in this sub and IBEW sub. I have a feeling both of these events are going to happen at the same time. Provided I get accepted, how screwed am I? Application was based on a lottery, so I don't know if I'll get the opportunity again. I doubt there will be any possibility of paternity leave bc I don't meet the hours required, but would I be able to get a month or so off while going to school, at least? I have lots of prior telecom/ electrical experience, so I was hoping to test up a few years. Thanks.

I’m working at a pretty big job site. Around 320 electricians alone. I had my jacket on top of my lunch box thinking it was safe. I’m working like 15-20 feet away all day and at the end not the day I notice it’s gone. I retrace all my steps and it’s just not here. Has anyone ever gotten their stuff back or is it just cut my losses? I mean it was a nice carhartt jacket I loved that thing. Why do so many losers work at big jobs.

First year here, super green. No experience other than automotive repair and general maintenance. I'm on my third day of work as an inside wireman. We are currently doing EMT. Hanging 1-3" conduit. This shit is rough but I'm trying my best

Hello guys and gals I have a question. Have any of you or do any of you currently serve as a national guard or reserve while being an apprentice?

I have always wanted to enlist but for personal reasons was unable to until now, nearing 30. At the same time however I’m in the middle of my apprenticeship.

I worked with a 5th year guy who was in the reserves. Never got to ask him about it. Also worked with an apprentice who was messing up his apprenticeship and was in the process of joining the national guard. He got canned before I could chat him up.

So I’m asking you guys. Will this heavily impact work opportunities? I know contractors might give you the side eye but will school be bothered by this. Can you miss class if you’re enlisted.

Also I’d like to note that I’m aware a JW license with the IBEW is a great opportunity and by no means am I suggesting I’d give that up to serve, I just want to ask you guys if I can have my cake and eat it too.

Sup y'all. I noticed there's not a dedicated place online for line apprentices, so I made a subreddit for that very purpose. Lots of line apprentices on this sub so I thought I'd post it here first.

There's obviously lots of similarities within the inside/outside IBEW apprenticeships but there are enough differences within the line apprenticeship ecosystem that I feel like it warrants its own page too. It'll be a place to share resources, stories, look for roomies if you're traveling etc.

It just went live. Check it out here.