In June, JATC graduates celebrated five years of hard work at the 80th Annual JATC Graduation Ceremony. 368 apprentices earned their diplomas after completing 720 hours of classroom instruction and 8,000 hours of on-the-job training. The evening included an invocation, dinner, and remarks from JATC leadership, NECA, and IBEW Local 26.
This year’s valedictorian spoke directly to the graduating class about what those five years actually felt like: the long commutes, full-time work, and family responsibilities apprentices juggled to get here.
The electricians who go on to continue our trade are resilient, and the work carries real responsibility. When someone depends on an electrical system you built, the stakes are real. They’re trusting you completely.
Not all apprentices took the same path to graduation. Roughly 195 of this year’s graduates completed the training through the Upgrade Program, a route for people who already have electrical experience and want to earn their journeyman classification through night classes instead of a traditional apprenticeship.
Either way, graduates are stepping into the same healthy market. Very few Local 26 members are sitting on the bench waiting for work. Graduates move into strong wages, overtime opportunities, and real career growth from day one.
The industry itself is expanding fast. Data centers, AI infrastructure, power generation, automation, and emerging technologies like small modular nuclear reactors and Power over Ethernet are changing the industry in ways that didn’t exist a decade ago. The demand continues to grow, and the people trained to meet it are in short supply.
It’s also a career that rewards a particular kind of person. The work calls for physical ability and technical intelligence in equal measure. Electricians solve complex problems in demanding environments and watch major projects come to life thanks to their own hands. That combination of challenge and craft is what keeps people in this trade for a lifetime.
To all the apprentices who completed the program this year: congratulations. You put in the hours, showed up when it was hard, and came out ready for the work ahead.
If you’re considering your own path into the trade, whether you’re starting fresh or bringing experience from another field, there’s a track built for you. Explore your training options.
