Becoming an Electrician in New Jersey

[mitgol34]

Hi All from Northern New Jersey. My grandson is graduating high school in June (He's 18) and wants to become an electrician. Good for him! He's talking to a local area Bootcamp that charges a good deal of money. I've done a lot of reading on getting into this field and I need to ask you pros if a bootcamp makes any sense. I've read on other forums that say it's a waste of money and to go directly to a union to get an apprenticeship or to contact a company to see if they are hiring for that. However those routes seem to be filled with many difficulties getting in and very long waits. So, maybe the bootcamp route (and the money it costs) is a better option. They say that they will hook up their students with companies hiring apprentices. Any advice will really help a young guy trying to find his way. Thanks in advance.

 

[infinity]

Before sending him to a boot camp try and find some real reviews about the boot camp. It may very well be worth the money. As far as a union apprenticeship he should check for the union local in his area and inquire about how to get an application for their apprenticeship program. If he's in Northern NJ then he may also be eligible to apply for an apprenticeship with Local #3 in New York City (at one time you needed to live within 50 miles of Columbus Circle to be eligible).

If he's going to persue the union route it may take a long time to get in. He should get a job as a helper while he's waiting. He might find out that he doesn't even like the trade.