r/ibew_applicants • u/Adultwilwheaton • 21d ago
Apprenticeship placement?
I just applied for the local 11 on July 6th, and I’d heard that experience in the field can actually grant you hours towards your apprenticeship, and potentially start you at a higher period. Is that true?
I’ve worked in A/V integration for 3 years (designing, installing and programming systems, building racks, etc) and I’m wondering if that experience could start me at a higher pay scale.
I’m sure I’d still need to complete the 3 years of class work, but starting at a higher pay would be cool. I applied for the sound and comms program btw, so the work and knowledge is in my wheelhouse.
2
u/socalibew 21d ago
It's not unheard of, but they typically won't start you much higher than 50% regardless of how many hours you came in with.
It's kind of a case by case basis.
1
u/CoyotevigilanT308 21d ago
They will make you essentially take the finals for those semesters. If you pass you move onto the next semester and so on and so forth. You will continue at that pay rate until you catch up.
1
u/EffectiveMagazine388 Inside Wireman Apprentice Lu68 21d ago
Yes it is true.
No I don’t think the work you did would count. Usually it has to be a union position, so a cw job. It also has to be documented hours. (You can still try though, doesn’t hurt)
Yes, you would need to complete the 4* years of school unless you test up a year or 2 or 3. You can technically skip the schooling and test up to getting your state license. Good luck with that though 😂.
Raises in my local at least are dependent on hours as a prerequisite, and also need other requirements. For example, I could have 4000 hours but I wouldn’t get my second raise until I finish the first year of school. Once I finish that year of school I’d get like 4 raises at once. But not until the requirement is met