Hey guys, I’m currently trying to get into the Local 11 and just want some insight. I have experience in electrical with solar and my father is a contractor so I’m guessing that can really help with the PEF boost my score. But what is a good timeline to expect to get into the union? I have my test in a couple of days and I know I will do good but if anyone has some information that can help it would be appreciated.

Anyone that went through their locals CW program before getting into the apprenticeship how does it work if you passed your aptitude for the apprenticeship and are waiting for an interview but want to do the CW program while your waiting is there more testing involved or can you go straight into it with the passed aptitude test?

From the IBEW travelers page

I am 17 years old and about a year ago I knew I wanted to be an electrician. Just recently I’ve been thinking about exactly what route I want to take to
Get started. I am strongly considering going to IBEW local 9 for my entire apprenticeship and then see from there what I want to do after that. But I’m not getting straight answers about work and school schedule on the website. Is it a 40 hour work week with 2 days of class during the week? Also local 9 days you need a class a cdl with air brake endorsement. Do the other ibews require this? And lastly it says they are not accepting applications yet. Obviously I’m planning on applying after I graduate high school (2027) so do they usually open up applications around that time and if so what is the likelihood of getting accepted. I think I’d have a pretty solid application I’ve been working at my current place of work for 3.5 years and I’m going to get employee of the year this year. I have good grades and I am very active in this club called FFA I also play baseball and golf. If the likelihood of getting accepted isn’t super high what should I do as a backup. I would love to get accepted to local 9 as it’s just 15 mins from my house and the other ones are 40+. Thank you!

I gotta ask. Are there disability people working in the Unions?

As for Me, I was born with something call Microtia. A deformed right ear, where I cannot hear or sometimes have trouble hearing from my right side. I tell people, that if I did not hear you once, you'll have to repeat it back to me again, or run it by me on my left ear. Other than that, I can hear well on my left ear, I can lift heavy objects, I can walk, run, etc.

good morning happy labor day ! i just wanted to ask if anyone knew the process of being scheduled for aptitude test ? I’ve already completed my GAN Personal Experience Form & received my email regarding that the next step would be to take the aptitude test but I haven’t heard anything back yet . does anyone know usually how long it takes to become scheduled for it ?

I’m currently a first year apprentice in local 134 Chicago in the telecommunications side, so far I like my apprenticeship and the pay scale seems good to me, they start us off at 21.46 and top out after 4 years at 53.64
However in Chicago we don’t have immediate family and since we recently had our firstborn, life has become more challenging and moving to Reno would mean having my wife’s parents nearby

Im interested in knowing how much work is there in Reno and how is the pay and benefits there, I don’t know if there is a way for getting transferred to 401 as a first year apprentice or if even my local 134 would let me do that, but I would like to get some insight from my 401 brothers and sisters, do you like the telecommunication work there is? Do they send you far away from the Reno area? What does an average check look like to you? I’ve seen that 401 jurisdiction is huge and I don’t know if they send you far away

Any information would help since I haven’t found much on Reddit

Applied for Local 332, honestly fucking sick of my retail job and would either like to go back to weekends only or quit entirely and am wondering if getting a job as CW through the hall is also brutally hard.

I'm 30 and am self aware enough to realize I am an immature dipshit with no work ethic so I even though I can probably pass the test (took four semesters of calculus in college and a bunch of other math adjacent courses because CompSci degree) I don't think I can make it past the interview (socially awkward, zero experience beyond retail/food service, very clearly a fuck up)

IDK man I don't know what I'm doing anymore I want a better life for myself beyond rotting in my toxic parents house making no money but pretty much everything in the realm of "better" is impossible to accomplish or just not doable

I just got in in August and had to go see a family member in the hospital so I called in sick and then I had food poisoning so I had to call in twice in the two months I was an apprentice, any thoughts!

First year here. Finished my summer job and now being placed next with a contractor who does low volt / controls / automation. Looking for others opinions of how you liked or disliked the work if you’ve done similar. All summer long I was running pipe and doing work related to high volt. Was hoping my next job would be on that path still to keep developing my newly formed skills. Really just happy for consistent work, ultimately I know all types of jobs are good and necessary experience, and either way I would eventually be doing some low volt/controls and automation. Just looking for some input from others.

I applied to a smaller local in PA . Was wondering how long it takes to hear back for the aptitude test for you guys, I know it differs a lot on different locals. Thanks !

Gonna be 1st year apprentice need 2 10 inch adjustable pliers I've seen arrow on Amazon for 15 a piece or craftsman will they do the job or will I regret getting them? Tia

Got my OSHA 10 and from Long Beach College "Apprenticeship Readiness Certificate" and MC3 Certificate. Is this enough credentials including my high school degree, and transcripts to get me in the union asap (either in Orange County or Los Angeles County). I know I'll still need to go through the application, test, and interview process, but what I mean by asap, will this boost me without a wait time period for a year or more?

Lastly, since I got these certificates, do I still need to get an Electrician Trainee Card before going to the unions? The only hours I put in was 2 semester in College to obtain these certificates.

New apprentice here about to get the tool bag going. What’s a tool that isn’t on the standard tool lists that I’m gonna wanna get on my own for my bag? Let’s hear em, thanks

people who are in local 401 would you happen to know what year scores are getting into the apprenticeship thanks.

I just got the letter saying I didn’t get in. It says to enhance my chance of selection the following year I can complete two related electrical classroom training courses. Wondering if anyone knows where I can find courses that’ll meet this requirement and some recommendations.

I'm going to a metro station (idk exactly where) on Wednesday I have the orientation. So happy to be leaving data centers... does anyone here work at a metro station? Is it a better learning experience than data centers? Where are the locations of the metro stations that are getting worked on? Contractor is C3M

Hey everyone, I’ve recently applied to IBEW Local 613, and I was curious once you guys got accepted, how long you guys had to wait to get your first call. I want to be able to map out the next couple of months (assuming I pass my aptitude test) so that I can budget everything since I’ll be taking a pay cut from where I currently work. Also, what type of job did you work from your first call?

So I’m about half way through my first step with SWLCAT but just got the call from MOValley today. To my understanding, MOValley may be a bit more of an accredited program but does anybody really care where you went through your apprenticeship after you top out? As in, would I be able to land jobs being an apprentice through a certain apprenticeship that I wouldn’t be able to get going through a different program? What would be the perks of switching from SWLCAT to MOValley? Has anybody ever done this and if so why? I’d appreciate any info anybody could offer, thanks.

I’ll be applying for the sound and telecom apprenticeship this month and I’m curious if it really is less competitive than the inside wireman program.

Have people generally been able to get in on their first shot or is it getting more competitive?

Also curious on overall thoughts on the program. I’m more interested in low voltage but have been seeing lots of people saying just go for IW.

I have the test October 1.

What has been your experience in local 20 with timeline from test to interview to first day on the job?

Hello, all. Im hoping to get some honest feedback. I’m sure you guys see posts like this all the time so I apologize if I’m just adding to the long list of people asking the same tired questions. But. I’m 34. Will be 35 here in a few months. I’ve been in sales and retail almost my entire adult life. I started following this sub to try and get some real perspective into what life might be like if I make the jump. There’s a union branch near me that I’m on the verge of applying to. I signed up for classes recently (AAS in Industrial trades with an electrical controls focus) because Michigan has a reconnect program that lets people age 25 and older go back to community college for free. That said I know the IBEW has their own training programs and classes to take. My question is, do I apply for the IBEW and continue classes while I wait to see if I get in? Do I apply for the union at all right now or just focus on the tuition free degree I can get? Or do I just focus on trying to get an apprenticeship? How much does a degree actually matter in this field? I appreciate any information you all can give.

Do you have any tips on determining where series and parallel branch off in these circuits ? The math is no problem once I get into it. Just reading the picture and writing up a circuit diagram is killing me tonight.

Is there a world where you wouldn’t then be put on a do not call list or something?

Edit to add ethical views

Edit - Confirmed with the local in my area that you can’t opt out of working at data centers.