FAQs

Construction electricians install and repair electrical wiring and related equipment in buildings. Because electricity is used for a variety of purposes including climate control, security and communications, electricians need to be proficient in many applications of electricity. They are employed by electrical contractors, maintenance departments of large institutions, such as hospitals or industrial plants, or they may be self-employed.

Construction electricians work on both new construction sites and on renovations to existing buildings. They ensure that all electrical connections are safe and meet the electrical code.

Electricians interpret architectural drawings and electrical code specifications at construction sites. They pull wire through conduits and through holes in walls and floors. They install, replace and repair lighting fixtures and other electrical equipment such as switches, relays and circuit breaker panels. They splice, join and connect wire to fixtures and components to form circuits, according to the plans. As well, they test circuits to ensure the compatibility and safety of systems. In many cases they are called on to troubleshoot faults in electrical and electronic systems as well as to connect sound and visual communication equipment, signaling devices and heating and cooling systems. At some sites, they conduct preventive maintenance programs.

Women can be very successful as electricians, and the number of women in the B.C. electrical apprenticeship program is steadily increasing.

The Electrical Joint Training Committee is making it a priority to recruit qualified women, and so are the EJTC’s sponsoring partners in the electrical industry. The EJTC’s sponsoring union, IBEW 213, has a women’s committee with dozens of members. Part of the committee’s function is to bring more women into the electrical trade. To find out more about support for women, go to our Women in Trades page.

EJTC is proud to be ranked the #1 sponsor of female apprentices and the #3 of indigenous apprentices by the Industry Training Authority.

A construction electrician with a union job in B.C earns a good income. Under the current International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers contract, a first-term apprentice in commercial or industrial construction is paid more than $27.00 per hour when benefits are added to wages. That total figure rises to more than $53.00 per hour when the apprentice has completed their program, normally at the end of five years.

An electrician works with their brain as well as their hands. The electrician is called on to solve complex problems, and works with customers and co-workers to plan and install electrical systems.

The electrical trade offers a wide range of specialties, from micro-electronics and data communications to power line construction. The world of the electrician is always changing with the introduction of new technologies and systems.

Electricians need to be physically active and have good hand-eye coordination. And they need to be problem solvers, capable of reading a chart and making the calculations that will solve a technical problem.

The EJTC is a partnership of leading BC electrical contractors and IBEW 213, which is the union that represents construction electricians in the Lower Mainland and the Okanagan.

The EJTC provides direct technical training at the pre-apprentice, apprentice and journeyperson levels. It also supports more than 900 electrical apprentices with work placement and enrollment in college courses.

The EJTC’s training centre in Port Coquitlam features state of the art project rooms and classrooms, allowing instructors to combine hands-on practice, small-group instruction and online learning. The EJTC is a provincially certified school, and its Entry Level Trades Training program is partly funded by the BC Industry Training Authority.

No, but it will be most advantageous for you to have suitable transportation as work locations vary throughout the Lower Mainland.

Please contact the BC Industry Training Authority at www.itabc.ca.

Yes. Contact the EJTC office for details.

We do not have any type of application fee at this time.

You can call the EJTC at 604-571-6540. We can tell you about the training options and what you need to qualify.