How do I get Started?
Gain Employment
Employment and selection for a Trades Trainee position with one of our Employer Members is the first step to Apprenticeship Training.
Find an Employer
If you’re interested in a career as a Power Line Technician, you’ll need to find a job with an Employer who will train and enroll you into the Apprenticeship Training Program. To see who our Employer Members are view our Employer Directory.
Skills and Attributes for the Trade
- Individuals must be in good health and should have the following skills and attributes to be successful.
- Meet challenges of physical demanding work in all types of weather
- Strong mechanical aptitude
- Physical dexterity
- The capability of working at heights, confined spaces, trenches and excavations
- Good hand-eye coordination
- Precise and detailed in work
- Ability to read and interpret blueprints
- Be able to work a member of a team
- Adapt to changing tasks and locations in BC
Get a jump start on skills Employers are looking for
The following prerequisites are mandatory requirements for Trades Trainees to enter the PLT Apprenticeship Program.
- Math 11 Algebra or higher program
- Physics 11 or higher program
- English 12
- High School Diploma or a government recognized high school equivalency
- BC Hydro Electric Utility Fundamentals (online course)
- Class 3 drivers licence with air brake endorsement
The BC Hydro Electric Utility Fundamentals online course from College of New Caledonia introduces Trades Trainees to basic concepts required to understand and explain the systems that generate, deliver and sell electrical power. Click here to download the BC Hydro Electric Utility Fundamentals Course
Trades Trainee Registration
Upon being hired as a Trades Trainee, it is a mandatory requirement that you are registered with the JLATA and Local 258 of the IBEW.
Trades Trainees (TT)
Trades Trainees are employees in an entry-level position that is intended to provide job and crew support, supervised exposure to the PLT trade and provide the Trades Trainee with the knowledge and basic job skills for entry into the Apprenticeship Program.
This is a minimum 6-12 months probationary training period, in which, the Trades Trainee is given an opportunity to acquire a sufficient level of understanding, and practical application of job skills to make an informed decision on whether to pursue the trade; and for the Contractor to determine whether the Trades Trainee has the attributes to be successful in the PLT Apprenticeship Program.
Complete Program Prerequisites
Trades Trainee completes academic and practical prerequisites for entry into the PLT Apprenticeship Program.
Apprenticeship Training Prerequisites:
Academic
- High School Diploma or a government recognized high school equivalency
- Math 11 Algebra or higher program
- Physics 11 or higher program
- English 12
- BC Hydro Electrical Utility Fundaments (Online) College of New Caledonia
Non-Academic
- Class 3 driver’s license with Air Brake Endorsement
- Registered as a Trades Trainee with the JLATA and Local 258 IBEW for a minimum of 6 months
- Up to date Trades Trainee Log Book (specific daily details of job and hours
Practical
- Minimum 6-12 months supervised work experience requirement with current Employer
- Trades Trainee Practical Skills Evaluation by Employer
Application for Indentureship & Selection
Your Employer evaluates your practical skills and recommends you to the JLATA for Indentureship into the PLT Apprenticeship Program.
Application Process
At the end of your probationary training period, if your prerequisites have been completed, your Employer will complete a Trades Trainee Evaluation verifying that you have the right attitude, a keen interest in the trade and possess an appropriate level of practical skills for entry into the PLT Apprenticeship Program.
Eligibility and Selection (JLATA Verifies Eligibility Criteria)
Applications that meet the following eligibility criteria will be presented to the Board on scheduled annual intakes for final selection of Trades Trainees for Apprenticeship Training:
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- All program entry prerequisites have been verified;
- Application documentation and Trades Trainee Evaluation Forms have been submitted; and
- Employer’s ratios are in compliance with Appendix “C” of the Master Line Agreement.
Trades Trainees being considered are subject to Skill Assessment by the JLATA to determine their readiness for Apprenticeship.