To Become a Journeyman Electrician
Educational & Practical Experience Requirements
The following is an extract from the Virginia Board for Contractors, Individual License and Certification Regulations at: http://www.dpor.virginia.gov/dporweb/tra_reg.pdf (page 9)
18 VAC 50-30-40 Evidence of Ability and Proficiency
A. Applicants for examination to be licensed as a journeyman shall furnish evidence that one of the following experience and education standards has been attained:
1. Four years of practical experience in the trade and 240 hours of formal vocational training in the trade. Experience in excess of four years may be substituted for formal vocational training at a ratio of one year of experience for 80 hours of formal training, but not to exceed 200 hours;
2. Four years of practical experience and 80 hours of vocational training for liquefied petroleum gas fitters and natural gas fitter providers except that no substitute experience will be allowed for liquefied petroleum gas and natural gas workers;
3. An associate degree or a certificate of completion from at least a two-year program in a tradesman related field from an accredited community college or technical school as evidenced by a transcript from the educational institution and two years of practical experience in the trade for which licensure is desired;
4. A bachelor’s degree received from an accredited college or university in an engineering curriculum related to the trade and one year of practical experience in the trade for which licensure is desired, or,
5. On or after July 1, 1995, an applicant with ten years of practical experience in the trade as verified by reference letters of experience from any of the following: building officials, building inspectors, current or former employers, contractors, engineers, architects or current or past clients, attesting to the applicant’s work in the trade, may be granted permission to sit for the journeyman’s level examination without having to meet the educational requirements.
For those with experience
For those with the necessary educational requirements and years of approved practical experience, passing the exam is the final requirement to a journeyman’s license. The examination is an open-book examination on the National Electric Code 2008. Details of registering for the examination can be found at http://www.dpor.virginia.gov/dporweb/2010_Exam_Schedule.pdf (page 24) and at http://candidate.psiexams.com/index.jsp. You must be approved by DPOR before you can register to take the examination.
There is no formal training requirement to prepare for the examination. ESCC offers an online course specifically for this:
ELEC 1301: Understanding and Applying the National Electrical Code®
Students will gain an understanding and appreciation of the National Electrical Code®. This course provides in-depth coverage of all the essential elements of the code including terminology, structure, and specific applications and interpretations including: calculating conductor fill, GFCI requirements, load calculations, grounding rules, voltage drop calculations, and wiring requirements for hazardous locations. The student will also learn code variables based on single-family and multi-family classifications, residential and commercial classifications, as well as code requirements specific to health-care facilities.
You can apply and start the course at any time and you are allowed six months to complete it: your progress is self-paced and you may well complete it in less time. The course is delivered in five parts which must be completed in order. Your first course will be sent to you as soon as your enrollment has been accepted. Other courses will follow as you complete your exams, so that you will always have study materials to work with. Full payment is required at the time of enrollment. The following textbooks are supplied and included in the cost of the course: National Electrical Code®, Understanding the NEC®. The cost of the course is $262.
You can use the standard non-credit application and enrollment form, which can be downloaded at https://es.vccs.edu/mimik/mimik_uploads/pdfs/144/Non-credit_Schedule.pdf and mailed to the college. The Class Title is: “The NEC 2008 Certificate”, and the Class # is: “ELEC 1301”.
For those without experience
ESCC runs no practical ‘vocational training’ classes for electricians, but you will have to get two or four years practical experience working as – and for – a qualified electrician. This means that you have plenty of time to complete the “formal vocational training”, which may be up to 240 hours. ESCC has two options for you to consider:
1. Credit classes: you can take a combination of credit classes from the electronics program and online classes from non-credit program.
This has the advantage that you can continue taking credit classes in the electronics program to gain a Certificate (32 credit hours) or an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Electronics Technology (65 credit hours) and even go on to a four-year degree at another college. Requirements for the Certificate and Associates Degree programs can be downloaded from Electronics Certificate Curriculum Sheet and Electronics Technology Associate of Applied Science Degree Curriculum Sheet respectively.
You should also be aware that the program proposed below – ETR 113, ETR 237 and ETR 238 (total 11 credit hours), plus ELEC 1301 (above) has not yet been approved by DPOR as satisfying the ‘vocational training’ requirements detailed above. ESCC is currently in the process of submitting a formal application for approval to DPOR.
Fall semester:
ETR 113 DC & AC Fundamentals (includes lab.) 3 credits
ETR 237 Industrial Electronics I (includes lab.) 4 credits
Spring semester
ETR 238 Industrial Electronics II (includes lab.) 4 credits
ELEC 1301 The NEC 2008 Certificate (non-credit online, see above)
2. Online Non-credit classes:
ELEC 1302: this online program gives you hands-on training in:
• The classifications and categories of electricity
• Conduit fittings and supports
• Residential, commercial, and industrial electrical installation
• Heating and lighting practices
• Conductor properties and characteristics
Included in the course fee are:
• All the books, lessons, and learning aids you need
• Tools, kits, and practical exercises for hands-on learning and use in your career
• Journeyman exam preparation guide
• Unlimited instructional support
• Access to student services by website, phone, and mail
• Plus a ‘graduation set”:
• Journeyman Exam Preparation Guide
• Electrician’s Toolbox Manual
Your program consists of 11 instruction sets designed to take you step-by-step through the techniques and skills you’ll use in your new career. The program prepares you for – and qualifies you for – the DPOR journeyman electrician examination.
The following textbooks are supplied and included in the cost of the course: National Electrical Code®, Illustrated Guide to the National Electrical Code®, Electrical Estimating. The cost of the course is $798.
You can use the standard non-credit application and enrollment form, which can be downloaded at: https://es.vccs.edu/mimik/mimik_uploads/pdfs/144/Non-credit_Schedule.pdf and mailed to the college. The Class Title is: “Electrician Career Diploma”, and the Class # is: “ELEC 1302”.
This course is approved by DPOR as satisfying the ‘vocational training’ requirements detailed above.
For further information call 757.789.7979.