Electricians

(Inside Wiremen / Maintenance)

Electricians acquire their skills by completing a formal 5-year apprenticeship program. In contrast to other construction trades, about one-third of all electricians work in industries other than construction.

Nature of the Work

Electricity is essential for light, power, air-conditioning, and refrigeration. Electricians install, connect, test, and maintain electrical systems for a variety of purposes. They also may install and maintain the electronic controls for machines in business and industry. Although most electricians specialize in either construction or maintenance, a growing number do both.

Electricians work with blueprints when they install electrical systems in factories, office buildings, homes, and other structures. Blueprints indicate the location of circuits, outlets, load centers, panel boards, and other equipment. Electricians must follow the National Electric Code and comply with State and local building codes when they install these systems.

In factories and offices, they first place conduit (pipe or tubing) inside designated partitions, walls, or other concealed areas. They also fasten to the wall small metal or plastic boxes that will house electrical switches and outlets. They then pull insulated wires or cables through the conduit to complete circuits between these boxes. In lighter construction, such as residential, plastic-covered wire usually is used rather than conduit.

Regardless of the type of wire used, electricians connect it to circuit breakers, transformers, or other components. After they finish the wiring, they use testing equipment, such as ohmmeters, voltmeters, and oscilloscopes, to check the circuits for proper connections, ensuring electrical compatibility and safety of components.

Maintenance work varies greatly, depending on where the electrician is employed. Electricians who specialize in residential work may rewire a home and replace an old fuse box with a new circuit breaker to accommodate additional appliances. Those who work in large factories may repair motors, transformers, generators, and electronic controllers on machine tools and industrial robots. Those in office buildings and small plants may repair all types of electrical equipment.

Maintenance electricians spend much of their time in preventive maintenance. They periodically inspect equipment, and locate and correct problems before breakdowns occur. Electricians may also advise management on whether continued operation of equipment could be hazardous or not. When needed, they install new electrical equipment. When breakdowns occur, they must make the necessary repairs as quickly as possible in order to minimize inconvenience. Electricians may replace items such as circuit breakers, fuses, switches, electrical and electronic components, or wire. When working with complex electronic devices, they may work with engineers, engineering technicians, or industrial machinery repairers.

Working Conditions

Electricians' work is sometimes strenuous. They may stand for long periods of time and frequently work on ladders and scaffolds. Their working environment varies, depending on the type of job. Some may work in dusty, dirty, hot or wet conditions, or in confined areas, ditches or other uncomfortable places. Electricians risk injury from electrical shock, falls, and cuts; to avoid injuries, they must follow strict safety procedures.

Most electricians work a standard 40-hour week, although overtime may be required. Those in maintenance work may have to work nights, on weekends, and be on call. Companies that operate 24 hours a day may employ three shifts of electricians. Generally, the first shift is primarily responsible for routine maintenance, while the other shifts perform preventive maintenance.

Employment

Electricians held about 656,000 jobs in 1998. About two-thirds were employed in the construction industry. Others worked as maintenance electricians and were employed in virtually every industry. Because of the widespread need for electrical services, jobs for electricians are found in all parts of the country.

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement

Most people learn the electrical trade by completing 5-year apprenticeship program. Apprenticeship gives trainees a thorough knowledge of all aspects of the trade and generally improves their ability to find a job. More electricians are trained through apprenticeship than workers in other construction trades.

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) apprenticeship programs are sponsored by joint training committees made up of local unions of the IBEW and local chapters of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). Because of the comprehensive training received, those who complete apprenticeship programs qualify to do both maintenance and construction work.

The apprenticeship program provides at least 144 hours of classroom instruction each year, and 8,000 hours of on-the-job training over the course of the apprenticeship. In the classroom, apprentices learn blueprint reading, electrical theory, electronics, mathematics, electrical code requirements, and safety and first aid practices. They also receive specialized training in welding, among other related topics. On the job, under the supervision of experienced electricians, apprentices must demonstrate mastery of the electrician's work.

High school courses in mathematics, electricity, electronics, mechanical drawing, science, and shop provide a good background. Special training offered in the Armed Forces. All applicants should be in good health and have at least average physical strength. Agility and dexterity also are important. Good color vision is needed because workers must frequently identify electrical wires by color.

Apprenticeship programs require applicants for apprentice positions to be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or its equivalent and a "C" or better in algebra.

Most localities require electricians to be licensed. Although licensing requirements vary from area to area, electricians usually must pass an examination that tests their knowledge of electrical theory, the National Electrical Code, and local electric and building codes.

Electricians periodically take courses offered by the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) to keep abreast of changes in the National Electrical Code, new technological advances or methods of installation.

Experienced electricians can become supervisors and then superintendents.

Job Outlook

Job opportunities for skilled electricians are expected to be very good as the growth in demand outpaces the supply of workers trained in this craft. There is expected to be a shortage of skilled workers during the next decade because of the anticipated smaller pool of young workers entering training programs.

Employment of electricians is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2008. Nearly two-thirds of wage and salaried electricians are concentrated in the construction industry, which is expected to grow more slowly than the average for all industries. Nevertheless, as the population and economy grow, more electricians will be needed to install and maintain electrical devices and wiring in homes, factories, offices, and other structures. New technologies also are expected to continue to stimulate the demand for these workers. Increasingly, buildings will be prewired during construction to accommodate use of computers and telecommunications equipment. More and more factories will be using robots and automated manufacturing systems. Installation of this equipment, which is expected to increase, should also stimulate demand for electricians. Additional jobs will be created by rehabilitation and retrofitting of existing structures.

In addition to jobs created by increased demand for electrical work, many openings will occur each year as electricians transfer to other occupations, retire, or leave the labor force for other reasons. Because of their lengthy training and relatively high earnings, a smaller proportion of electricians than other craft workers leave their occupation each year. The number of retirements is expected to rise, however, as more electricians reach retirement age.

Employment of construction electricians, like that of many other construction workers, is sensitive to changes in the economy. This results from the limited duration of construction projects and the cyclical nature of the construction industry.

Sources of Additional Information

For details about apprenticeships or other work opportunities in this trade, contact the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in your area.

Additional information on apprenticeships is available from:

The National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee for the Electric Industry

301 Prince Georges Blvd., Suite D,

Upper Marlboro, MD 20744.

National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA)

3 Metro Center, Suite 1100,

Bethesda, MD 20814.

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)

1125 15th St. NW.,

Washington, DC 20005.

or E-mail us at:

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Ninth District