Are you interested in starting a career as an Inside Wireman with the Electrical Trades Center of Ohio? You can find our core courses below that make up the main focus of our Inside Wireman registered apprenticeship program. With each of these courses, experienced Journeymen of IBEW Local 683 teach the necessary topics to educate in the field and the needed industry knowledge that will enable a successful career.
First-Year
This vital course offers a review of necessary mathematical skills for individuals working in various trades and is crucial to the electrical trade. Topics include operations with whole numbers, integers, fractions, decimals and ratios. More advanced topics include exponents, geometry, trigonometry, linear equations and vectors. The essentials of algebra, including solving equations and inequalities are also covered. This course is a requirement for anyone who received a Compass Test result below Math 100 (i.e. DEV 031).
- Prerequisite: None
- Length: 8 weeks (16 nights)
This course provides students with an industry overview that focuses on apprentice responsibilities, industry structure, safety, and on-the-job activities. This course introduces students to the IBEW and its history, the structure of NECA, ladder safety, apprentice responsibilities, and basic electrical safety. Students are exposed to a variety of industry specific topics and finish their studies with CPR and First Aid.
- Prerequisite: None
- Length: 6 Weeks (12 nights)
First-year students are introduced to the fundamentals of DC circuits and the application of mathematical principles to elementary electrical problems. This course begins with an overview electrical theory and continues with the elementary physics of resistors and how they interact in DC series and parallel circuits. More advanced topics include combination circuits, voltage dividers, superposition and Kirchhoff’s Laws. Students must complete in-class and homework assignments that require correct answers and mathematical proof.
- Prerequisite: Tech Math or Math 1100 or higher
- Length: 10 Weeks (20 nights)
This course provides a complete overview of conduit bending procedures and methods, including the use of hand bending tools, conduit types, conduit layout, mechanical benders, conduit threading techniques, threading tools and procedures. Students will learn how to fabricate 90 degree stubs, offsets, kicks and progress to 3 and 4 bend saddles.
- Prerequisite: Tech Math or Math 1100 or higher
- Length: 8 Weeks (16 nights)
Students receive an introduction to job related skills, which focus on installation techniques, safety and on-the-job activities. They are exposed to common materials and equipment typically found on a commercial or industrial worksite and are required to understand raceway and wiring installation aspects such as codes, safety and industry practices through the use of lectures and hands-on labs.
- Prerequisite: None
- Length: 8 Weeks (16 nights)
Second-Year
Second-year students will learn electrical theory studies through an introduction to Alternating Current (AC) theory. Course material includes a review of electromagnetic theory and a comparison of AC to DC circuit parameters, then proceeds to elementary physics of inductors, capacitors and resistors and how they interact in AC circuits. More advanced topics include impedance, resonance and power factor calculations. Students must complete in-class and homework assignments, which require correct answers and mathematical proof.
- Prerequisite: Completion of first-year inside curriculum
- Length: 10 Weeks (20 nights)
Students continue their electrical theory studies with a comprehensive overview of transformer design and practical applications. Instructors will review the electromagnetic theory and inductive AC characteristics, before progressing to the theory and application of three-phase transformer connections. Students must complete in-class and homework assignments, which require correct answers and mathematical proof.
- Prerequisite: Completion of first-year inside curriculum
- Length: 6 Weeks (12 nights)
This course offers a comprehensive overview of the National Electric Code (NEC), which begins with an introduction to “codeology,” a systematic study of the meaning and structure of the NEC, before moving on to code sections that pertain to commercial and industrial applications. More advanced topics include load calculations and other math related tasks associated with the electrical construction industry. Students must complete in-class and homework assignments, which require correct answers and code sections.
- Prerequisite: Completion of first-year inside curriculum
- Length: 10 Weeks (21 nights)
Students are introduced to construction blueprints, as they learn how to draw and recognize common scales and symbols for residential and commercial environments. They also will learn how to identify what and where material, fixtures and equipment will be installed prior to the start of a project. More advanced topics include understanding other crafts drawings, surveying and excavations.
- Prerequisite: Completion of first-year inside curriculum
- Length: 6 Weeks (11 nights)
Third-Year
This course teaches students the importance of fire alarm systems and then works to develop an understanding of the state-of-the-art technology available today. Topics include the types of fire protection systems, power supplies, monitoring for integrity and wiring. This course is a preparatory class for the State of Ohio Fire Alarm Installer examination. Students will be required to obtain their State of Ohio Fire Alarm Installer License in order to proceed to the fourth-year of studies.
- Prerequisite: Completion of second-year inside curriculum
- Length: 6 Weeks (12 nights)
Third-year students will learn the theory, design and installation of motors used in commercial and industrial locations. This course covers DC, AC, single-phase and three phase motors, as well as bearings, braking, starting, motor alignments, variable speed drives and drives systems. Students will learn how to troubleshoot motors and decide the appropriate course of action for installation, replacement and/or repair.
- Prerequisite: Completion of second-year inside curriculum
- Length: 6 Weeks (12 nights)
This course offers a comprehensive overview of construction blueprints, as students learn how to read and interpret industrial blueprints, which includes analyzing and laying out circuits. Students will also learn how to use specifications, schedules, component locations and blueprint system integrations.
- Prerequisite: Completion of Construction Drawings I
- Length: 4 Weeks (8 nights)
Students will learn grounding and bonding requirements for industrial and commercial electrical installations, using a combination of lessons, National Electric Code sections and labs in order to explore all facets of grounding and bonding AC and DC circuits. Students will be introduced to a variety of real world applications requiring a fundamental understanding of electrical theory, codes and electrical installation practices. Topics include grounding requirements for AC and DC systems, service equipment, ground faults and testing.
- Prerequisite: Completion of second-year inside curriculum
This course provides a comprehensive look at overcurrent protection for systems less than 600V. Topics include purpose of overcurrent protection, types of overcurrent, short circuits, device ratings and categories. More advanced topics include selective coordination, tap rules, calculations of bolted fault currents and motor branch circuits and transformer protection. Students will use previous skills from the grounding and bonding lessons in order to apply their code knowledge to practical field applications.
- Prerequisite: Completion of second-year inside curriculum
Fourth-Year
Fourth-year students receive a comprehensive overview of OSHA construction requirements, as they must complete the following safety courses: OSHA-30, NFPA-70e, CPR/First Aid, rigging and lifting and confined space training. Students will learn to recognize and prevent general hazards associated with a construction site. They will continue their studies by examining electrical safety and the hazards associated with working on or near energized circuits. Additional topics include rigging, knot tying, crane signals, confined space requirements and safety.
- Prerequisite: Completion of third-year inside curriculum
- Length: 10 Weeks (20 nights)
This course provides an overview of healthcare facilities, as students learn about the unique electrical systems found in all types of healthcare facilities. Using a typical one-line diagram as a guide, this course follows the flow of energy from the utility services and back-up generators, through the normal and essential electrical systems distribution systems to the patient care spaces, where power is utilized.
- Prerequisite: Completion of third-year inside curriculum
- Length: 6 weeks (12 nights)
Motor control represents the capstone experience for apprentice inside wireman. This course combines multimedia presentations, in-class demonstrations, group and individual hands-on projects, along with extensive lessons to explore topics related to commercial and industrial motor control systems. Topics include general principles, manual starters and magnetic coils, push buttons, selector switches, pilot devices, control relays and timers, basic two- and three-wire control circuits, schematic drawings and wiring diagrams, reversing and sequential control, jogging and plugging circuits, hand-off-auto controls, solid state and synchronous controls.
- Prerequisite: Completion of third-year inside curriculum
- Length: 16 Weeks (32 nights)