Bay City Joint Electrical Apprenticeship & Training Committee (BCJEATC)

The finest electrical workers in the country receive their training through the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee of National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).

It's a model education partnership which produces the best-trained, most up-to-date electrical apprentices and journeymen in the country. All of the $100 million annually spent is privately funded.

The NJATC was created over 58 years ago and has developed into what perhaps is the largest apprenticeship and training program of its kind. Local programs affiliated with the NJATC have trained over 300,000 apprentices to journeyman status without cost to the taxpayers. This joint program between the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) has clearly demonstrated the most cost effective way to train qualified craft workers.

Those in NJATC training programs are not a burden to the taxpayers for they are earning while they are learning. Each year, participants in the NJATC programs pay in excess of six hundred million dollars in taxes. This is truly a model program as it takes little to nothing from the taxpayers while training some of the most productive workers in the world who thereby pay tremendous dollars to the country. Skill, Knowledge and Attitude are the main focus in all of the NJATC's training programs.

Mission of the NJATC

The mission of the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee is to develop and standardize training to educate the members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the National Electrical Contractors Association; insuring and providing the Electrical Construction Industry with the most highly trained and highly skilled workforce possible.

About - NECA, IBEW, & NJATC

The NJATC developed uniform standards that are adopted and used nationwide to select and train literally thousands of qualified men and women. Through the NJATC, the IBEW and NECA have hundreds of local programs offering apprenticeship and training in the following areas:

Residential Wireman
Journeyman Lineman
Journeyman Tree Trimmer
Journeyman Inside Wireman
Telecommunication VDV Installer-Technician

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is the largest electrical union in the world. The IBEW represents workers' rights in all areas of the electrical industry.

The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA)
The National Electrical Contractors Association is the management association for electrical contractors. NECA represents thousands of employers who guarantee their installations and perform quality work on time and on budget. NECA electrical contractors satisfy their customers by doing the job right the first time.

Our goal is to provide the highest quality training to those interested in a career in the various fields within the electrical industry. We offer the following apprenticeships:

(Note: We do not offer the Outside Lineman apprenticeship)

In addition to receiving skill training on the job, our apprentices are provided trade related classroom training that produces competency and pride that lead to true craftsmanship.

What Do Electrical Workers Do?

There are four specialty areas where you will find electrical workers. These four areas are best described by the type of work done in each of those areas.

Inside Wireman are electrical workers who install the power, lighting, controls and other electrical equipment in commercial and industrial buildings. (This is a 5 year program)
Residential Wiremen are electrical workers who specialize in installing all of the electrical systems in single-family and multi-family houses or dwellings. (This is a 3 year program)

VDV Installer Technicians are electrical workers who install circuits and equipment for telephones, computer networks, video distribution systems, security and access control systems and other low voltage systems. (This is a 3 year program)

Outside Linemen are the electrical workers who install the distribution and transmission lines, that move power from power plant to a factory, a business, or your home. (NOTE: BCJEATC Does Not offer this apprenticeship)

How Can I Become An Apprentice?

Each of the four types of electrical work share common skills and knowledge. Each also has other skills and knowledge, which are specific to that particular area of work. Because of these differences, each type of work has a different apprenticeship program associated with it. Basic requirements for becoming an apprentice in any of our programs are similar, however. The following requirements are for individuals applying to be accepted into an Apprenticeship Training Program.

Minimum age 18*
High School Education or GED or have a two-year Associate Degree or higher.
Provide an official transcript for high school and post high school education and training. All GED records must be submitted if applicable.
Submit a DD-214 to verify military training and/or experience if you are a veteran and wish to receive consideration for such training/experience.
Qualifying Score on an Apptitude Test (Electrical Trades Apptitude Test developed and validated by the American Institutes for Research)
Present evidence that you posess a valid driver's license.

Note 1 Individuals applying for the Inside Apprenticeship who can verify (proper documentation required) that they have worked a minimum of four thousand (4,000) hours specifically in the electrical construction trade, will qualify for an oral interview.
Note 2 Individuals applying for the Residential Apprenticeship who can verify (proper documentation required) that they have worked a minimum of two thousand four hundered (2,400) hours specifically in the residential electrical construction trade, will qualify for an oral interview.

* School-To-Registered-Apprenticeship (available only for the Residential program) participants are required to be a minimum of 16 years of age and have completed their Junior year (11th grade) of high school and must have obtained a qualifying score.To learn more about the STRA program contact your guidence councilor or click here.

All Applications must be made in person at the BCJEATC Training Center located at 1206 West Thomas Street in Bay City Michigan on the third Wednesday of each month from 8:00am - 5:00pm (closed noon to 1:00pm).

Applications must be filled out in person. There is a $20.00 application fee.