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Choose Wisely

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Online or “brick and mortar” education? Your educational choices are always important, difficult to make, and deserve research on your part.

IEC Chesapeake is no stranger to providing a quality, four- year electrical apprenticeship program; for over thirty years we have been a leader in the field.

Some years ago we recognized the need for an online apprenticeship choice, in addition to traditional classroom training:

  • Nightwork: if your employer needs you on night shift work, how are you to attend class two nights a week?
  • Students living more than 40 miles from one of our 9 school locations. Driving distances to work is nothing new to people who work in the trades…but to drive 45+ miles to work, and then to a school location, and then home at night, creates a barrier to education that need not be there.
  • Care giving challenges. Some students face either parenting challenges, both parents working problematic schedules, or they may be primary care to a sick or elderly parent.

Accredited online opportunities, with proctored skill testing and exams, answers these challenges.

What should a student be wary of in looking at online programs?

“Diploma mills “

Beware the “school” that is not certified, authorized, and accredited. If the candidate is not a “registered apprentice” with the state, working full time for an electrical group, and is not logging their 8000 hours required for their Journeyman’s license, they may be in a fraudulent program.

Research your choice thoroughly. There are unaccredited “schools” and “training centers”, both brick and mortar and online, poised and ready to take your money and your time. In the end, they cannot deliver a Journeyman’s license. You will not be an electrician.

These fraudulent programs are not limited to the trades and apprenticeships– there are many states cracking down seriously on fraudulent “universities”. Promising a Bachelors or Masters with no authorization or accreditation, the college student gets years and dollars down the road to nowhere.

Want to know who’s too legit to quit? Contact your state Department of Higher Education and/or visit your Department of Labor sites. These groups can give you the names of legitimate apprenticeship choices.

When you visit the IEC Chesapeake website, we not only give you the rundown on our programs, we show you our curriculum(s). You can click and view year by year.

We offer both traditional and online: https://www.iecchesapeake.com/4-year-electrical-apprenticeship-program,

https://www.iecchesapeake.com/online-electrical-apprenticeship-program.

Whether you choose us, or another reputable apprenticeship program- the important thing is to pursue the appropriate coursework to raise your skill level, and ultimately, your worth, in the field.

We know we are among your best choices. Visit us today as you weigh out your future.