Journeyman Electrician Training
- Training for aspiring journeyman electricians prepares them to complete required tasks during professional engagements, oversee jobs where their skills are employed and mentor apprentices who participate in an apprenticeship under their guidance. Once they complete training, new journeyman electricians should be able to work unsupervised, finish tasks independently, supervise other laborers and apprentice electricians, resolve problems related to electrical tasks and interact with the foreman or other person in charge of a job.
- Journeyman electrician training is an ongoing process. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, most electricians take advantage of educational opportunities continually, such as classes on safety and new technology, to ensure their experience remains relevant and to acquire additional essential skills. Journeyman electricians also need to learn how to teach their trade to apprentices they mentor, which is why NJATC offers such journeyman electrician training courses as How to Teach Health Care Systems and Teaching the NJATC Residential Wiring Practices Lessons.
- Aspiring journeyman electricians must complete an apprenticeship in one of the four electrician specialties, which typically includes school instruction and on-the-job training for about four years. Before they can work in most states, they must also become licensed after their apprenticeship, which usually requires passing a written examination that evaluates their mastery of electrical theory, relevant local and state regulations, and the National Electrical Code, says the U.S. Department of Labor. Finally, potential journeyman electricians have to accumulate sufficient work experience to be able to supervise jobs and other workers, mentor apprentices and work on their own.
- Aspiring journeyman electricians obtain journeyman training through a combination of work experience and formal instruction, such as the journeyman electrician courses that NJATC administers nationwide. Interested candidates can arrange to participate in NJATC courses by completing the online registration form and paying the required fee, which varies. NJATC collaborates with local branches and official training centers to determine which journeyman electrician courses are needed the most in certain regions. Available courses as of 2010 include Fire Alarm Systems, Green Building Fundamentals and Journeyman Technical Instrumentation Training.
- Journeyman electricians may use their training to help them advance to the master electrician level. Although specific requirements vary by state, the U.S. Department of Labor reports that the more prestigious position generally demands work experience of up to seven years and sometimes a bachelor's degree in a relevant subject, such as electrical engineering. Such proficient electricians will experience job growth of 12 percent through 2018, says the the U.S. Department of Labor, largely due to emerging technology that requires more advanced wiring systems, greater demand for installation of energy-conserving equipment and increased services needed for a growing population that relies more heavily on electronic items.