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WECA — Western Electrical Contractors Association

Electrical & Low Voltage Careers · CA · AZ · UT

Get paid to become an electrician.

State- and federally-approved apprenticeships and training across California, Arizona, and Utah. Real wages from day one. Zero college debt.

Start Your Career Join WECA

U.S. DOL Apprenticeship Ambassador Nonprofit since 1929 Merit shop, contractor-driven

$0

College debt

Earn wages and benefits while you train on the job.

95+

Years serving the West

A contractor-driven nonprofit founded in 1929.

3

States, 5 apprenticeships

Approved programs in California, Arizona, and Utah.

2×2

Weeks of class per year

Two-week intensives. The rest of the year, you're learning on the job.

Choose your path

Students wiring circuits at a hands-on WECA electrical lab

For future electricians

I want a career in the trades

Apprenticeships, the Electrician Trainee program, and exam prep — pick the path that fits where you are.

Apply to an Apprenticeship
Member contractors at a WECA meeting

For contractors

I run an electrical shop

Train your workforce, meet Skilled & Trained requirements, and get a real voice in state politics.

Join WECA

Apprenticeship Programs

Five programs.
Three states. One trade.

Every WECA apprenticeship is approved by state and federal authorities, pays you on the job, and ends with a career — not a loan payment.

Apprentices servicing commercial lighting from a boom lift

California · 5 years

Commercial Electrical

Inside Wireman program with health, dental, pension, and life insurance.

 An apprentice hand-wiring a device on a residential jobsite

California · 3 years

Residential Electrical

Wire the homes the West keeps building, with contractor-provided benefits.

 A technician terminating conductors in an electrical panel

California · 3 years

Low Voltage · VDV & Fire Life Safety

Sound & Communication Installer: data, video, and life-safety systems.

 An electrician testing a panel with a multimeter on a sunny jobsite

Arizona · 4 years

Commercial Electrical

Federal- and state-approved Inside Wireman training in Arizona.

 An apprentice working in a distribution board

Utah · Registered

Commercial Electrical

Federally-approved and recognized by Utah's Division of Professional Licensing.

Not sure which fits?

Compare formats, lengths, benefits, and locations side by side.

Compare Programs

How Apprenticeship Works

From application to journeyperson

  1. 01

    Apply

    Pick your state and program, meet the entry requirements, and submit your application.

  2. 02

    Get hired & get paid

    Work under a licensed journeyperson at a member contractor. Wages and benefits start immediately.

  3. 03

    Train in intensives

    Two-week classroom-and-lab sessions about twice a year — each equal to a semester. Tuition covered by your employer.

  4. 04

    Graduate certified

    Finish as a certified journeyperson in a high-demand skilled career — with zero student debt.

See Application Requirements
A WECA apprenticeship graduate in class

"I walked out of my program with a career, a pension, and no debt. My friends who went to college are still paying for it."

WECA Commercial Apprenticeship graduate
Hear more from graduates →

Beyond Apprenticeship

Training for every stage

Getting started

Electrician Trainee Program

California's fastest, most flexible entry into the trade. Online or hands-on, instructor-led or self-paced.

Explore the ET program →

Getting certified

Certification & Exam Prep

Prep for the General, Residential, VDV, and Fire/Life Safety state exams — taught by instructors who passed them.

Get exam ready →

Staying current

Continuing Education

State-approved CE for journeypersons and low voltage techs. Online, self-paced, or in-person labs.

Keep your edge →

Who We Are

The workforce behind the West

WECA trains the workforce that powers your business, and launches the careers that power the industry. We're a nonprofit serving merit shop electrical and low voltage contractors, their employees, and the suppliers that support them — since 1929.

We're an official Apprenticeship Ambassador with the U.S. Department of Labor, and every one of our apprenticeship programs is state- and federally-approved.

About WECA The Merit Shop Philosophy
U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship Ambassador badge State and federally approved programs seal Established 1929 seal
Hands-on lab at a WECA training facility

News & Events

The latest from WECA

All news & events →

Political Update

Sacramento transportation tax: what merit shop contractors should know

A proposed permanent half-cent sales tax could shape who competes for a new pipeline of public works.

Programs

Two new 32-hour online CE courses for journeypersons

Faultless Solar and Perfect Sizing — self-paced, fully online, state-approved.

Advocacy

PAGA reform, one year in: what actually changed

WECA's government affairs team breaks down the settlement data behind the headlines.

Your move.

Whether you're starting a career or building a company, WECA is where the merit shop West gets to work.

Start Your Career Join WECA