Welcome to the IBEW Local 490 JATC

The IBEW Local 490 JATC Training Program offers an apprenticeship that is designed to shape apprentices into well-rounded electricians.

Over the course of the Four-year Electrical Apprenticeship Program, apprentices undergo 8000 hours of on-the-job training with experienced journeypersons, plus 800 hours of intensive classroom instruction with qualified instructors. Through this rigorous training, Electrical apprentices leave the program knowledgeable and ready to act as licensed electricians!

How the apprenticeship program works

As an apprentice electrician enrolled in the IBEW Local 490 JATC Training Program, you work during the day on actual job sites where experienced journeypersons teach you the trade. Classes are from 5pm to 9pm either Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday depending on what class you are in, from September through May in our facility in Concord, the IBEW Local 490 JATC Training Center. This apprenticeship system enables you to receive full-time pay while gaining the experience and skills necessary to succeed as an electrician.

What do we require of you to apply?

• Minimum age of 17 to apply 18 to begin work
• Valid driver’s license
• You must be a resident of New Hampshire or York County Maine.
• Receive a minimum score on our nationalized standard aptitude test
• Be able to perform work required of an apprentice both mentally and physically
• If you are currently in your senior year of high school you can apply and get accepted as long as you are graduating before the start of our August classes.

What do we require from you to apply?

• High School Diploma, GED certificate, HiSEt, 2-year college Associate degree or higher 
• Official school transcripts showing a completion of Algebra 1 with a “C” or better
• Birth certificate
• Driver’s license
• DD 214 if prior military
• Basic resume showing job history

How does the application process work?

While applications are open from August 1st to May 20th we interview and select new apprentices from the pool of applicants in June and July. We will be accepting applications for the 2026-2027 school year starting Aug 1st 2025. Interviews and selection for the 2026-2027 school year are scheduled for June-July of 2026.

• Applications are accepted from Aug to May. To get into a fall semester, applications must be complete by May 20th of that year.
• Applications must be filled out online (click the link below).
• All documentation other then transcripts and diplomas must be received to complete the application and be elegible for the aptitude test.
• All applicants will be scheduled to take National Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee’s aptitude test administered by this JATC. This test your ability in Math and Reading comprehension and is pass/fail.
• Applicants who receive a passing score on the aptitude test will be scheduled for an interview in the summer with our committee.
• Applicants will be placed upon a rank list and selected in the order in which they are scored.
• Applicants will be selected for the program in July.

If you are applying to our Apprenticeship and have already completed a full year or more of apprenticeship please contact the Training Director via email with documentation of your work hours and school hours in addition to filling out our application.

The email to contact is  Training.Director@IBEW490.org    

Email Subject  "Experienced Apprentice"

If you are interested, please click the link below to create your account, if you have any question please feel free to contact Jon Webb the Training Director at (603) 738-9179.

**CLICK HERE TO APPLY**

Below is a video about being an IBEW apprentice!

IBEW LU 490 JATC will not discriminate against apprenticeship applicants or apprentices based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), sexual orientation, genetic information, or because they are an individual with a disability or a person 40-years old or older.

IBEW LU 490 JATC will take affirmative action to provide equal opportunity in apprenticeship and will operate the apprenticeship program as required under Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 30.

ELECTRICAL TRAINING ALLIANCE

The electrical training ALLIANCE (previously called NJATC) was created over 70 years ago as a joint training program between the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) aimed at training the best electrical workers the industry has to offer. Today, the electrical training ALLIANCE has developed into the largest apprenticeship and training program of its kind, having trained over 350,000 apprentices to journeyman status through local affiliate programs.

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

The IBEW represents approximately 775,000 active members and retirees who work in a wide variety of fields, including utilities, construction, telecommunications, broadcasting, manufacturing, railroads, and government.  The IBEW has members in both the United States and Canada and stands out among the American unions in the AFL-CIO because it is among the largest and has members in so many skilled occupations.

As union members, we bargain collectively with our employers over wages, benefits, and rights.

Most of us have very limited bargaining power as one person, but as a group, we are strong. And, with a good, negotiated contract, we have legal protections we would not have otherwise.

NECA

The voice of the Electrical Construction Industry.

NECA is the voice of the $171 billion electrical construction industry that brings power, light, and communication technology to buildings and communities across the U.S.

NECA contractors are the technical professionals responsible for the most innovative and safest electrical construction in the U.S.