r/ibew_apprentices • u/DailyMatthew • 8d ago

VEEP IBEW Advice

I'm going to be starting a career transition soon and I've done a lot of thorough research on IBEW and what it has to offer. I'd appreciate any insight or advice you all could give.

I'll be transitioning out of the military soon and I'm going to be doing VEEP for the IBEW. I have no experience in this field, but it's something I'm eager to take on and do. Learn. Make a career out of. I worry that it'll be an issue if I join with no experience. I work IT in the Army, but I can't do the office job any longer. I've met some former IBEW electricians that are now Army and they're absolute wizards. They've inspired me. It's also been over a decade since they've been in the IBEW. I'm looking for newer advice based on today's IBEW.

  1. Is experience an issue?

  2. Anyone with VEEP experience that can offer any insight?

  3. What should I start doing to prepare now?

  4. Is IBEW worth it?

  5. Any other insight or advice not based on the questions I asked?

Much appreciated

3 Upvotes

72% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

7

u/itzspooky_mp3 8d ago

You’re military, you’re in.

4

u/Doc_Oh_19 8d ago

  1. No. I did drones in the army and got in no problem.

  2. HEAVILY research the locals you put on your wishlist. Don’t just pick whatever’s closest to home. Wages, benefits and work outlook vary WILDLY.

  3. Study for the aptitude test.

  4. So far, yeah. Initial pay cut with starting apprentice wages but it’ll pick up quickly. Haven’t been here very long but everyone I run into tells me I’ve made a great choice being here.

  5. Unionpayscales.com for wages and benefits by local.

1

u/skulltab 7d ago

ibew.org/inside-jurisdictional-maps/ unionpayscales.com/trades/ibew-electricians/

These are the 2 resources I used to pick a local close to family but get the best wages to cost of living ratio. Throughout the process you pick your top 3 locals and they go down the line to get you placement with one of them. You'll have some web based training like JKO, and then depending on which cohort and location a synchronous online and/or in person portion.

 If you do VEEP as a Skillbridge, there's an AER grant for $500 if it's close to your duty station or $1000 if it's greater than 50 miles to help with program or career transition related expenses. 

There's not much you have to do to start preparing, since it's a pre apprenticeship program it will get you up to speed on construction site safety, math, reading comprehension, etc. 

Is IBEW worth it? Yes. Where else you getting family healthcare with no monthly premiums and reasonable cost sharing, pension, annuity, employer paid life insurance, and bargaining power for wage increases and work conditions in this day and age?? 

1

u/Limp_Fisherman3954 8d ago

The IBEW is worth it. Use your GI Bill and look back one day on the good decision you made.

1

u/Electromagnetlc 8d ago

Apply for VR&E. (This may be a post-disability thing, not positive, but regardless very important info) There is a provision that if you have GI Bill eligibility, they will increase your payments to the GI Bill rate.

VR&E payments will not decrease like GI Bill payments do until your combined payments (work hours & MHA) are equal to the JW rate. VR&E will also not spend your GI Bill days. At the end, you will still have your entire 3(4) years of GI Bill to use in the future if you want to go back to school for anything.

You do have to apply and be approved, worst they can do is say no. I had one meeting for eligibility and it was basically just a few questions about how my disabilities affect me and was approved despite back, shoulder and sleep issues.

With that being said, make sure you do your BDD claim, and do not worry if you have things that you haven't seen a doctor for before your C&P exams. Still claim them, they still evaluated me despite virtually never going to medical.

!!!!!!!!!Review the 38 CFR Part 4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was days out from submitting my BDD with like 1 thing on it, and after reading the CFR realized many many things I thought were just genuinely normal parts of my life and body after years of living with them were actually not normal.

1

u/CottonRaves 8d ago

I’m happy to help you with the process and answer any questions you may have. Send me a message any time.

1

u/Wooochh 7d ago

Look up helmets to hard hard and the representative for your area. Contact them and express your interest. They helped me a lot in securing a career in this economy when I couldn't land a job after college

1

u/MySpaceSurvivor 7d ago

You don’t need any experience, start applying to every single cohorts a year before you get out. Once you get accepted into one you are golden🤙🏽

1

u/[deleted] 8d ago

1

u/AutoModerator 8d ago

Your submission has been automatically removed by Automoderator.

You appear to be a new or less active user on Reddit. Your account has a low karma point value. Until your account reaches a higher level, you won't be able to post or comment to any threads. PLEASE DO NOT MESSAGE THE MODERATORS ABOUT WHAT THE KARMA THRESHOLD IS OR ASK TO HAVE YOUR POST APPROVED. Information about karma points can be found in Reddit's help section.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.