An electrical contractor license is required to engage in the business of installing or maintaining wires or equipment to convey electric current, or equipment to be operated by electric current. To work as an electrician, an individual must have a journey level (01), or specialty electrician certificate of competency. The Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) issues licenses and certificates of competency and administers the regulation of electricians and electrical work.
In 2018, the Legislature passed SSB 6126, which requires completion of an apprenticeship program to receive a journey level electrician certificate of competency beginning July 1, 2023. The bill also allowed L&I, until 2025, to permit an applicant who obtained experience and training equivalent to a journey level apprenticeship program to take the examination if the applicant had good cause for not completing the minimum hours of work.
To be eligible for the examination for a journey level certificate of competency, an applicant must have:
The provision, set to take effect in 2023, that allows L&I, until July 1, 2025, to permit an applicant who obtained equivalent training and experience to a journey level apprenticeship program to take the examination if the applicant establishes good cause is repealed.
PRO: This bill is technical fixes to the bill that passed in 2018. There is a need to develop capacity for the bill and L&I has a work group to build that capacity. The bill only applies to journey level licenses and will solve the issue of stranded hours. The new options for certification are good, but it is not enough to solve the shortage of available programs. The bill also clarifies the requirements for using out of state hours and experience in the military towards certification.
CON: There are a lack of approved apprenticeship programs in areas and there are no remote learning opportunities. It takes a long time and a lot of money to start a program. There was no need to change the system to apprenticeship only, because businesses have been training electricians the previous way for decades and there was already classroom instruction offered by L&I.
OTHER: The Legislature should not force apprenticeships on people when there was already a pathway. The goal should be to expand apprenticeships, not require them. It is now extremely expensive to train trainees.