Industrial Electrician
An Industrial Electrician lays out, inspects, assembles, installs, troubleshoots, repairs and maintains (including programming, calibration and preventive/predictive maintenance) electrical fixtures, apparatus, control equipment and wiring for industrial electrical systems, as well as equipment and systems such as motors, generators, distribution equipment systems, wiring systems, lighting systems, motor drives, stand-by power systems, instrumentation, communication, security, renewable energy and energy storage systems. Specifically, an Industrial Electrician:
- plans installations from blueprints, sketches and specifications and installs all electrical and electronic devices
- systematically diagnoses faults in electrical and electronic systems and equipment and repairs or replaces electrical and electronic components as required
- measures, cuts, threads, bends, assembles and installs conduits and other electrical conductor raceways
- splices and terminates electrical conductors
- tests electrical and electronic equipment for proper function
Red Seal trade
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
An apprenticeship training program consists of on-the-job and in-school training. Generally, the time-frame to become competent in the trade of Industrial Electrician is 9000 hours (approximately five years) consisting of 8160 hours of on-thejob work experience and 840 hours of in-school training.
ON-THE-JOB TRAINING
An apprenticeship involves practical training provided on-the-job by a skilled worker, or trainer. The skills or competencies to be developed are set out by the trade’s Apprenticeship Training Standard and are recognized by the industry as being essential to the practice of the trade.
As these essential skills are developed, the apprentice’s sponsor or trainer signs the relevant sections of the training standard to indicate that the apprentice has met the individual training objectives by demonstrating the skills required of a skilled worker, or journeyperson, in the trade.
IN-SCHOOL TRAINING
An Industrial Electrician apprenticeship includes three levels of theoretical training, which includes but is not limited to instruction in:
- codes, legislation and regulations
- blueprints, drawings and specifications
- electrical theory, wiring, installation methods and instrumentation
- motor starters and controls, transformers and generators, conductors and cables, grounding and bonding
- distribution equipment, electronics and electrical equipment
- power distribution, protective devices, fluid power
- pneumatic and hydraulic systems, high voltage systems, and fire alarm, building systems and control systems including programmable logic controllers
Depending on the training delivery agency, in-school training may be available in one of the following ways:
- block release (full-time, for a set number of weeks)
- day release (one day per week from September to June)
- part-time (night-school programs)
- alternative delivery (online, correspondence, etc.)
Industrial Electrician is a trade named under the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021.
This trade has an apprenticeship program that is administered by the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development. Upon completion of an apprenticeship program, the Ministry issues a Certificate of Apprenticeship.
This trade has a certifying exam. When the certifying exam is passed, Skilled Trades Ontario will issue a Certificate of Qualification in this trade. Because this trade is non-compulsory, this certificate does not have to be renewed, and the information of individuals practicing this trade will not appear on the Skilled Trades Ontario Public Register.
In Ontario, the trade is part of the Interprovincial Red Seal Program—the national standard for the trade across Canada-under the title Industrial Electrician: www.red-seal.ca.