What does "Earn While You Learn" Mean?

When IEC says "Earn While You Learn," we are saying that you can earn a paycheck, credit for on-the-job training, and credit for instruction hours.

You will not be paid to go to school, but you will earn a paycheck while working on-the-job where you will use the information you learn in the classroom and pick up additional knowledge from your supervisors.

All IECSCC students earn the state required credit for instruction hours. We cannot guarantee employment, so cannot guarantee a paycheck and credit for on-the-job training hours. With this being said, we do not have any employment requirements to attend classes, and we have over 80 employer partners who prefer to hire our apprentices. Because of this, over 90% of our students are currently working in the electrical trade either with our partners (contractor members), or other electrical companies in the area.

Many IECSCC apprentices pay for their own schooling, but it is extremely rare for anyone to go into debt because not only are apprentices able to earn a full paycheck each week, they also have the opportunity to apply for scholarships after completing their first semester of schooling. (For any incoming students, we recommend connecting with the Pikes Peak Work Force for tuition assistance programs.)

Some companies setup payment plans to make it easier for their employees to receive tuition assistance, but every company has a different policy.

The state of Colorado requires that apprentices have 8,000 hours of on-the-job training (which usually takes around four years to complete) and 288 hours of schooling to test for the Journeyworker Electrical License. Attending classes once per week throughout four years (with holiday and summer breaks) allows apprentices to receive education while earning their on-the-job training hours. This means that most graduates are ready to test for their Journeyworker License shortly after graduating, while all of the knowledge acquired in the classroom is still fresh in their head.