The National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Center (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.

The mission of the NJATC 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. The NJATC has 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 for Residential Wiremen, Journeyman Linemen, Journeyman Tree Trimmers, Journeyman Inside Wiremen and Telecommunication VDV Installer-Technicians.

In addition to receiving skill training on the job, NJATC’s apprentices are provided trade related classroom training that produces competency and pride that lead to true craftsmanship. Quite often some local training committees provide special classes with hands-on training to support classroom lectures and discussions.
The NJATC is also committed to developing and providing skills upgrade training to keep the Journeyman-level workforce as current and up-to-date as possible in the newest technologies. The NJATC works directly with equipment manufacturers and technology developers of a variety of tools, equipment and supplies, searching for the most up-to-date information available. Once a new training need has been identified, the NJATC designs an appropriate training course, provides instructor training and distributes the training materials to local JATCs to help them meet their local training need requirements.

The NJATC’s local programs are training tens of thousands of journeyman level workers each year. Millions of dollars are invested each year to ensure that these individuals are the best training workers in the industry.

There are four specialty areas where you will find electrical workers:

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.

Inside Wiremen are electrical workers who install the power, lighting, controls and other electrical equipment in commercial and industrial buildings.

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.

Residential Wiremen are electrical workers who specialize in installing all of the electrical systems in single-family and multi-family houses or dwellings.

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.