The 4-Year Program

We are an electrical instruction provider, as well an an organization of merit-shop electrical contractors.  Our contractor members are electrical companies in the Southern Colorado area who we work closely with, and who prefer to hire our students.  Merit shop contractors establish compensation directly with non-union workers, often linking raises and promotions to demonstrated performance and added responsibility.

 

If you're currently looking into a career in the electrical field, we recommend visiting our location for a tour and so we can answer any questions you may have. 

 

We are accepting registrations for our August start date through June 5th, 2026.  If you register after June 5th, you will be placed in our October start date / "winter rotation" classes.

 

Once you have decided to register for classes through IEC Southern Colorado, registration is completed in-person.  We are available for walk-in registrations from 10am until 3pm, Mondays through Thursdays, and on Fridays by appointment.  We do not require that you bring anything with you other than your Driver's License or ID.  You will arrive at the school and one of our 4 team members will ask you to fill out a registration form on our computer (this usually takes around 5 minutes).  We will then provide you with a 40-question math diagnostic that is completed on paper and without using a calculator.  The diagnostic covers fractions, decimals, percentages, reading a ruler, etc., but no algebra.  It is NOT a pass or fail diagnostic.  If you score below a 70%, we will require that you attend an $80 math refresher course that we offer before every school year.

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After the registration form and math diagnostic are complete, you are officially registered for classes!  At this point, if you are looking for work in the electrical field, we will make sure to give you our contact information to send your resume to so that we can make it visible to our contractor members (potential employers).  We will also ensure that you know how to access the list of contractor members so you can start reaching out to companies to see if they're hiring.  We cannot guarantee job placement, but do try to help as much as possible, offering resume assistance, making sure our contractor members know that you are available for work, etc..

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The goal is for our students to be working full 40-hour work weeks as an electrical apprentice while attending classes.  Depending on the hiring market, some students are still searching for an electrical apprenticeship position with a company during their first year of school.  

Once you are working in the electrical field, you will be Earning While You Learn, as all electrical apprenticeship positions are fully paid.  Some electrical companies help out with tuition and book payments for classes.  It's a good idea to check what your employer's policy is early on so that you know what to expect. 

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Classes start in August and October each year.  We reach out 1 - 2 months before classes begin asking which night of the week you would prefer to attend classes (Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays).  If you are paying your own way, we also send over an invoice for 1st semester tuition and the book payment for the year.  Please reach out to us directly for tuition rates for each school year; cost may vary depending on your employer.

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For our August start date, new student orientation is generally conducted during the last week of July, with classes starting the following week.  Classes are held from 5:30pm - 9:30pm every week from August through May ("winter rotation" classes are held from October through July).  You can expect to spend around 4 hours outside of class each week on homework, reading ahead, etc..  Time spent on classwork outside of the classroom does vary by student.  Homework is completed in a workbook and submitted online each week.

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Halfway through the school year, we send an invoice for 2nd semester tuition.

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After passing the 1st year of the program, you are automatically enrolled for 2nd year classes.  We reach out via email 1 - 2 months before the 2nd year start date to ask which night of the week you would like to attend, and with an invoice for 2nd year 1st semester tuition and books.  You are billed for 2nd semester tuition halfway through the school year.  The same process for payments and enrollment for the next year of school continues for 3rd and 4th year. 

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The State of Colorado only requires 288 hours of instruction (2 years of our 4-year program), so why do we have the 4-year program?  IEC is a nationally recognized curriculum.  We have over 30 chapters across the country, and some states require 4 years of school.  The OJT (on-the-job training) required by the State of Colorado usually takes around 4 years, and we want to get you as much education as possible before taking the State Journeyworker Examination.  Over 95% of our graduates pass the exam on the first try.  The 3rd and 4th year of our curriculum also contains some great hands-on learning and ensures that you are a well-rounded electrician.

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After you have your State Journeyworker License, you will need 24 hours of continuing education (CEU) every three years to keep your license active.  IEC Southern Colorado offers discounted CEU's to our graduates during license renewal years.  If you end up wanting to get your Master Electrician License, we have an exam preparation course.  If you open your own company, you may want to consider making your company a contractor member of IEC Southern Colorado to take advantage of the membership benefits. 

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Many of our current instructors are graduates of IEC Southern Colorado, as are many contractor members.  This creates a full "life cycle" of electricians preparing the next generation to take their place.  IEC Southern Colorado's mission is to educate and mentor a highly productive workforce by providing electrical professionals with the knowledge and skills required for their advancement.  We will promote innovation, growth, and excellence within our industry.  

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