# i-tap non-union school



## sing (Aug 28, 2018)

I just went and toured the i-tap electrical school in Sacramento, CA. They have a 6 mo FT program. The director of the school says you can sit for the JM exam without getting the 8000 hrs of on hand experience. Is this BS? Licensing boards are pretty strict about what needs to be accomplished before sitting for the licensing exam. It costs $16000!! in tuition. I'm in my early 50s transitions from tech. He also said if I get the commercial JM license I can also work on residential and low voltage.


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## Signal1 (Feb 10, 2016)

Don't know California stuff

There are some here who do

Sounds a lot to me

That director is full of poo

This sounds to me a little funny

Be careful before you give them any money

Where I am right now it's really hot

This message was generated by barley and hops


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## Service Call (Jul 9, 2011)

I would wait for responses from people who know. The info you gave doesn’t sound kosher to me. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

I'm with the other two guys, sounds hokey to me.



I'd call your licensing board and ask about this program, see if they accept it as an alternative to a typical apprenticeship.


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## Bird dog (Oct 27, 2015)

I'm not from CA, but, below are links to the state site for certification...contact them...

https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/ECU/ElectricalTrade.html
https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/ECU/ECU_FAQ.htm


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## Jose618 (Jul 17, 2017)

Hes right you can sit for the test but you are not a JW till you finish your 8000 hours. The community college by me worked the same way. Finish schooling and you can take test.


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## Butterchuck (Jul 29, 2018)

You absolutely can sit for the journeyman's test before 8000 hours, the catch is the school holds your license until you get 8000 hours. My good friend passed his test last year after he finished the last of his classes but won't get his hands on it for another month or so until he has 8000 hours. I've also heard that if your close, finished all your classes and are currently not working that the director of the school will sign off on the last of your hours if you've passed the certification exam. All this is through the ABC. Also remember the California electrical certification exam is a joke to most states. I've taken it three times. And the Michigan exam once. The Michigan exam was very difficult, involved lots of studying and anxiety. The California test is just looking stuff up in the code book.


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## sing (Aug 28, 2018)

Thank you all for your responses. Ideally getting into a IBEW apprenticeship would be nice, but it seems like it can take years wo connections or experience. 

The director was saying their program is equivalent to Masters Electrician. I felt like he was trying to sell the school program by putting down the ones offered at Sac City College and the unions.

What would be the advantages of doing the schooling first ( at a community college)? Would you get paid more or would not even get a job because you have no hands on experience?


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## sing (Aug 28, 2018)

The link provided by birddog shows the itap school (137) on the list of approved electrical trainee schools. This school offers the 6mo program as well as the 5 yr apprenticeship.


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## Switchgear277 (Mar 18, 2017)

sing said:


> I just went and toured the i-tap electrical school in Sacramento, CA. They have a 6 mo FT program. The director of the school says you can sit for the JM exam without getting the 8000 hrs of on hand experience. Is this BS? Licensing boards are pretty strict about what needs to be accomplished before sitting for the licensing exam. It costs $16000!! in tuition. I'm in my early 50s transitions from tech. He also said if I get the commercial JM license I can also work on residential and low voltage.


I don’t get the point of non union electrical schooling . After you get a and card your still not guaranteed a 
Sertain wage and you still have to negotiate your wage .

So what purpose does a non union jman card hold am I missing something . Or does it vary state to state .

Bc in nj guys go to schooling non union get the jw card and still get the same low wages they were getting I don’t see the point .

Maybe diff states are different


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## sing (Aug 28, 2018)

I guess I see it as getting some type of experience. Getting into a union seems nearly impossible here in N California without experience or connections.


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## Switchgear277 (Mar 18, 2017)

sing said:


> I guess I see it as getting some type of experience. Getting into a union seems nearly impossible here in N California without experience or connections.


I understand totally no one can ever take the schooling away from you and it helps you be able to negotiate 
Your wages in a non union sector .

I would get this jw card non union then apply to every ibew local within 200 miles what ever one takes me in I’d move their .


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## sing (Aug 28, 2018)

Although there are many benefits to a union, I want to be my own boss. The more I read about the politics and nepotism I get turned off (this is apparent in tech and healthcare as well, areas I'm transitioning from). I think electric cars are the future and there's a huge market for installing home charging station. Just saw on news today that a bill was introduced to make California zero fossil fuel by 2045.


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## Switchgear277 (Mar 18, 2017)

sing said:


> Although there are many benefits to a union, I want to be my own boss. The more I read about the politics and nepotism I get turned off (this is apparent in tech and healthcare as well, areas I'm transitioning from). I think electric cars are the future and there's a huge market for installing home charging station. Just saw on news today that a bill was introduced to make California zero fossil fuel by 2045.


Yea being your own boss deff is a great idea you just need money to start up with and good contacts .

Either way good luck


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

sing said:


> I just went and toured the i-tap electrical school in Sacramento, CA. They have a 6 mo FT program. The director of the school says you can sit for the JM exam without getting the 8000 hrs of on hand experience. Is this BS? Licensing boards are pretty strict about what needs to be accomplished before sitting for the licensing exam. It costs $16000!! in tuition. I'm in my early 50s transitions from tech. He also said if I get the commercial JM license I can also work on residential and low voltage.


16k?? 
Total scam!!
Avoid!!
Our trade requires OJT.
Do not give these people a dime. 
Send them a cease and move on.:wink:


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## gpop (May 14, 2018)

sing said:


> I just went and toured the i-tap electrical school in Sacramento, CA. They have a 6 mo FT program. The director of the school says you can sit for the JM exam without getting the 8000 hrs of on hand experience. Is this BS? Licensing boards are pretty strict about what needs to be accomplished before sitting for the licensing exam. It costs $16000!! in tuition. I'm in my early 50s transitions from tech. He also said if I get the commercial JM license I can also work on residential and low voltage.


You are coming from the tech sector so you should understand that education with out experience is a waste of time the same as experience with out a education is.

School will get you a education above what a union will provide. The union might get you experience but that really depends on what they have available.

You seem to be interested in house wiring on existing homes (upgrades verses new builds). You also seem to be interested in new technology which doesn't fit all that well with the union approach. 

There unions job is to get people on electrical jobs and provide the minimum education based on the needs of the area they are working which is why they pay you rather than you paying them. 

At 50+ with 4-6 years required before you are ready to break out and start a business i would have to seriously look at my personal fiances and deiced if this is really the direction i wanted to go.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

sing said:


> I just went and toured the i-tap electrical school in Sacramento, CA. They have a 6 mo FT program. The director of the school says you can sit for the JM exam without getting the 8000 hrs of on hand experience. Is this BS? Licensing boards are pretty strict about what needs to be accomplished before sitting for the licensing exam. It costs $16000!! in tuition. I'm in my early 50s transitions from tech. He also said if I get the commercial JM license I can also work on residential and low voltage.


50s is a bit late to the game to enter a physical trade like ours, especially if you are going to enter as an apprentice.

If it were my a
Goal to get into the car charging business, I would get into sales.
Take some code classes and learn a bit of CAD. Start learning how to get leads, contact a few contractors that look to be in the business and do what ever you can to hire on with them.
You can do sales well into your 70s. With some rare exceptions, you are pretty much out of the physical side of the electrical Trade in your mid to late 50s.

I-Tap is an organization that exists only to short circuit the apprenticship requirements on PW jobs. It's going to be a very, very rare situation to ever see the type of residential work you are looking for with them.

It seems to me like you want to take the C-10 and do some contracting. Maybe someone can help you with that goal.

It might show a little but, I detest those For Profit certificate schools.


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

There is almost always schooling that goes with on the job training. There is almost always some way to get the schooling done quicker, but often during the day when you could be working as an apprentice. In most cases, four years of night class while working days as apprentice for four years is the route to a journeymans card, or equivalent. This seems to hold for both union and non union. Takes a little patience to get through the night classes as the kids tend to be a little disruptive. Forgot what it was like and now I'm sitting through a couple month class on gas piping and it's painful.


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