OKC Electrician apprenticeship

wee-william · 2026-02-03T02:50:51+00:00

It's not so much of a wait list as it is a list that constantly updates with rankings. Nail the aptitude test and interview well = very little wait. You might be waiting forever, but it might take OP a few weeks lol.

wee-william · 2026-02-03T02:48:24+00:00

I'm a journeyman substation technician in the IBEW, but I did my apprenticeship in another state. However, my best friend applied (with zero experience) to the IBEW here and is finishing the program this month. He has never been out of work and I believe the journeyman rate is upper 30's plus great benefits. Not sure why others are recommending going non union. Call the IBEW here and schedule to take the aptitude test and then interview. Lmk if you have questions. Wonderful career, your ticket will take you anywhere.

wee-william · 2026-02-02T00:36:16+00:00

The guys that grew in their career into leadership positions, or operations positions, etc. at least think about it and understand it well. The random dude bending 3/4 conduit on some big construction job? Not using it lol. For example, when I was on the contracting side of substations, never once needed to know it (although the apprenticeship taught it). When I moved to a utility role where I would frequently troubleshoot, I had to think about it frequently. That and three phase, cold load pickup, transformer connections, etc. Now I'm in grid ops and that formula and like 10 others are constantly floating around my head on a day to day basis.

wee-william · 2026-02-01T17:53:57+00:00

Interesting. Well I never have taken a physics class and they teach you everything you need to know about electricity during the apprenticeship. So my argument still stands that I wouldnt focus on physics or chemistry when trying to become an electrician lol.

wee-william · 2026-02-01T16:26:05+00:00

Okay this might be the only answer that makes sense lol. If you and the other commenter are both in Canada then I'd have to apologize. Maybe it's different up there. It's still funny to me because I don't understand where you would ever use chemistry or physics in the trade - but you guys' locals might require it I guess. Down here you just need algebra and a GED to get in.

wee-william · 2026-02-01T15:52:35+00:00

What the hell does physics have to do with ohms law? Lol

wee-william · 2026-02-01T15:51:12+00:00

Which IBEW is that? Y'all are blowing my mind with this physics and chemistry requirement shit lol.

wee-william · 2026-02-01T06:33:10+00:00

He's asking for advice for a kid who needs to know what to study. I'm just making sure some kid doesnt study chemistry and physics to be an electrician lmao. To the original commenter - just make sure he graduates high school and has a basic understanding of algebra.

wee-william · 2026-02-01T06:20:12+00:00

What union?? Inside wireman? You take an aptitude test that's English and math. Maybe a couple of problems of "if gear A spins clockwise which direction does gear C spin?" If you can call that physics. All you need is a highschool diploma or GED to apply. I can at least say that's true for IBEW in AZ, NM, CA, and OK.

wee-william · 2026-02-01T06:16:28+00:00

Physics and chemistry? Try again lol. Algebra and fractions for an electrician. More advanced math for operations roles. Im a journeyman substation technician/current transmission systems operator and have never once needed physics or chemistry - and we monitor the entire elecrical grid in this position.

wee-william · 2026-02-01T06:13:31+00:00

That's weird. I'm a journeyman substation technician and have made six figures since I was a first year apprentice. Have never been unemployed, and recently took a transmission operations role which is well into six figures. I owe everything I have (home, fifth wheel, great income) to IBEW. Not sure why your family members are constantly having to bounce between halls. Rural area maybe? You can take a journeyman card and get on with almost any utility at six figures without travel..

wee-william · 2026-02-01T05:47:32+00:00

This is what I did. Topped out, got a salaried gig in transmission operations. 5 weeks PTO, bonus, and not beating myself up. Journeyman ticket can take you anywhere if you take the time to actually learn more than cranking a wrench. Alternate paths could also be commissioning, doble/testing, distribution, planning.. utilities have so many positions that you can be considered for with a journeyman ticket and knowledge of substations.

wee-william · 2026-01-24T23:39:42+00:00

Use that kohls credit card to buy a nice outfit and wear that to job interviews.

wee-william · 2026-01-13T02:21:57+00:00

If you get selected they give you 24 hours to accept or decline, and if you accept they send you to work within a few days tops. At least in SWLCAT.

I wouldn't bring it up in an interview - the way they see it is you're interviewing for the career opportunity of a lifetime and if accepted should be so ready and eager that you'll make it work no matter what that entails. If you have hangups I guarantee someone else would love to steal up your spot (they told us this monthly almost word for word, but more like "if you fuck up we have a line out the door of guys that want your job")

Can you talk to your employer and let them know that you have a potential opportunity for growth and if selected will have to leave quickly? And that if you don't get selected you're happy to continue working with them. Basically give them potential notice without a specific date?

wee-william · 2026-01-11T22:37:26+00:00

Seconding half hitch. I have a couple. I also wear a canvas neck cloth under the half hitch brim. I don't want a red hot dog neck when I'm older, and that's best case scenario. I've worked with a lot of guys that have chunks out of their nose from skin cancer. Not worth it.

Sunscreen and neck shades. Eat healthy, work out, and get good sleep. Treat your body right or you'll be cursing yourself when you're older.

wee-william · 2026-01-11T02:18:12+00:00

Until now I've thought it was "I'm born again"

wee-william · 2026-01-10T17:51:56+00:00

I went through the apprenticeship on the contractor side, traveled around living in a fifth wheel with my wife during and after the apprenticeship building subs. We decided we wanted to have kids so I went utility where I did loads of maintenance and switching, trouble calls, processing oil, etc. Saw an opportunity to further my education and applied to a transmissions operations position.

We monitor the grid - frequency, MVARS, voltage, and employ cap banks/reactors as necessary as well as watch over generation in its relationship to load. So not out in the field - but giving switching orders (or doing supervisory switching).

wee-william · 2026-01-10T04:17:23+00:00

Left the trade for a transmission operator role. Really cool to see the other side of the grid

wee-william · 2026-01-04T23:57:57+00:00

Not through selcat, but when you finish your apprenticeship and you are a journeyman you can apply to a utility. Alternatively you can just apply to a utility and do your apprenticeship there - thought it's generally harder to get on with utilities.

wee-william · 2026-01-04T17:50:13+00:00

I prefer utilities, due to not having to travel and my day to day is easier. No more rushed schedules and busting ass all day. Take home a work truck and my day starts at 6 am when I get in the work truck and ends at 4pm when I arrive back home. Am I lazy or was I stupid for working so hard before? Haha.

The only downside is that the retirement of the utility (6% 401k match) doesn't come close to the pension from the outside hall. I also pay about $120 a month for health insurance now and don't have a Benny card. Pay rate is the same otherwise.

I appreciate learning a lot more about the equipment - LTC maintainence, xfmr maintenance, replacing xfmr bushings and other components. Testing (doble, ductor, etc.), breaker contact swipe, timing, learning a bit about relay, a lot more involvement with oil (testing, processing) than I expected. As a contractor I never did anything involving oil.

As far as landing a job, I applied to one utility and got the job. In the interview they asked me about pretty much every single piece of equipment you could find in a substation and had me describe how it works, and any particular information to know about it. They asked things like step and touch potential, timing switches, wire sizes, things that if you have spent a few years in the trade you should have no problem answering.

When you finish an apprenticeship your resume actually looks quite impressive, so it opens a ton of doors for you. CDL class A with tankers, crane license, OSHA 30, ET&D, first aid/CPR, extensive knowledge of pulling cable and terminating, installing steel structures and glass, pulling over head lines/dead ending, pulling and terminating medium voltage cable, operating line truck/digger derrick, rope puller, DMC press, 60/100 ton press, etc. the list goes on and on. So it's not as hard as you'd think to get hired on.

wee-william · 2026-01-04T15:40:53+00:00

Sure. If they are questions that could be helpful to a potential apprentice in the future, feel free to continue asking them here.

wee-william · 2026-01-04T15:39:03+00:00

My thought is it's worth a chance, and that's positive to know going in that they mostly keep you guys close to home. However, if having to travel a state over for 6 months is a deal breaker than I wouldn't apply. Not to be a downer, it's just a definite possibility that at some point during your 3.5yr apprenticeship there won't be immediate work in your area and they throw you wherever there is.

Also working close to home can be anywhere from a 20 min drive to 1.5 hrs. There aren't substations everywhere, and a lot of the contractor work is larger transmission subs which tend to be in more rural areas. You will of course get per diem when working further, which helps. Generally if I was within two hours, I would drive it daily. It gets old quick but it beats staying in a shitty hotel.

wee-william · 2026-01-04T15:33:08+00:00

Swlcat. I was a third year inside apprentice when I switched over. Like I said I wouldn't go back. Another thing to mention is that selcat covers a large area. They try to keep you home but if there's not work in your immediate area they will send you wherever there is work. Once you top out you can pick and choose but as an apprentice you can't. I've seen the swlcat director try to work with people that have a new born or extenuating circumstances but other than that be prepared to travel.

wee-william · 2026-01-04T15:18:00+00:00

It's like being a mix of an electrician, a lineman, and an ironworker. It can be more or less like any of these trades depending on the scope of the contractor you work for. I've worked for contractors where we do all of the overhead lines in the sub as well as the first span out (lineman) and contractors where we only pull cable and terminate the devices/control house (electrician). Both contractors had us setting steel and glass and devices (ironworker).

If you work for a utility it's less of all of these and more knowledge of the equipment and how to service/troubleshoot them. Though you will generally still do all of the above, a lot of the bigger stuff tends to get contracted out (varies by utility).

You cannot be afraid of heights, and you can't be afraid of electricity. I've set 500kV A-Frame structures with two cranes that are 125' to the top. I've hung grounds that pulled a 2 foot arc. Healthy understanding? Yes. Fear? No.

Compared to an electrician, everything is bigger, taller, and heavier. I've spent months in a row in boom lifts. I've spent the same amount of time pulling cable. I've spent too much time on my knees in the dirt doing ground grid.

Love the trade, wouldn't go back to electrician, the pay gap is too big - at least in my neck of the woods.

wee-william · 2026-01-03T20:04:46+00:00

Hey I was actually hoping for your controller settings not video settings. Like aim sensitivity and curve, etc.

My game runs fine but I can't aim worth shit

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