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APPRENTICESHIP ROADMAP

FREE ORIGINAL GUIDE

NJATC curriculum
study roadmap.

A practical five-year roadmap for inside-wireman apprentices, connecting classroom theory, code navigation, calculations, hands-on labs, and on-the-job learning.

EVERY YEAR

Five habits that build a wireman

⛑

Safety

Plan the task, identify hazards, use proper PPE, verify conditions, and follow the controlling procedure.

§

Code navigation

Learn where to find the rule, read its scope, follow references, and check definitions and exceptions.

Σ

Trade math

Write known values, select the formula, keep units visible, calculate, and check whether the answer is reasonable.

⚒

Craftsmanship

Measure carefully, protect materials, install neatly, torque correctly, test safely, and leave useful documentation.

♟

Professionalism

Show up prepared, communicate clearly, accept correction, protect the crew, and take responsibility for the work.

YEAR 01

First-session core curriculum

The supplied 2026 curriculum compass, organized into a practical course-and-lesson checklist.

Apprentice note: Open each course to see its lesson sequence, prerequisites, and listed materials. Confirm dates and assignments with your training director.

Tool list: Before buying equipment, confirm what your local or contractor supplies. Compare a practical first-year starter kit →

PTSI Online Learning System ReviewPTSI0010 credits
  1. Online Learning System Layout
  2. My Records
  3. PTSI Mobile App
Constructing Your Future — CMLJ200LM.J10.5 credits
  1. What to Expect
  2. Opportunities Abound
  3. Personal Responsibilities & Expectations
  4. Safety Never Takes a Break
  5. What It Takes to Succeed
Introduction to Apprenticeship — CMLJ200LM.J2 · Prerequisite: Constructing Your Future3 credits
  1. Welcome to the Beginning of Your Electrical Career
  2. Preparing for Your Apprenticeship
  3. The Economics of Working in Construction
  4. The Organized Electrical Industry
  5. Reaping the Rewards of the IBEW–NECA Partnership
Electrical Job Information 1 — CMLJ221LM.P7.5 credits
  1. Safety and Awareness in the Workplace of an Electrical Worker
  2. Identifying Basic Tools and Common Materials of the Electrical Trade
  3. Basics of Insulated Conductors
  4. Choosing and Installing Anchors and Fasteners
  5. Types of Building Construction
  6. Conductor Installation
  7. Devices and Switches
  8. Introduction to Firestopping
  9. Sizing Building Wire
  10. Topic Review
Electrical Theory 1: Direct Current — CMLJ202LM.M15 credits

Materials: DC Theory Textbook; Student Notebook 1; Ugly’s Electrical References; TI-30X IIS calculator; Building a Foundation in Mathematics.

  1. Introduction to DC Theory: Terminology and the Basics
  2. Series Circuits
  3. Parallel Circuits
  4. Combination Circuits
  5. DC Circuit Analysis
  6. Switches and Conductors
  7. Magnetism and Electromagnetism
  8. Resources
  9. Support — Labs
  10. Final Circuit Assessment
Applied Codeology: Navigating the 2026 NEC — CMLJ207LM.O · Prerequisite: Electrical Job Information 14 credits

Materials: Applied Codeology Textbook and the 2026 National Electrical Code.

  1. Overview, Organization, and Chapter 1 of the NEC
  2. Planning the Installation
  3. Building the Installation
  4. Using the Electricity
  5. Specific Occupancies and Locations
  6. Specific Equipment
  7. Specific Conditions and Systems
  8. Communications Systems — Outside and Entering Buildings
  9. Tables and the Informative Annexes
  10. The Codeology Method
  11. Post-Course Assessment
Conduit System Fabrication 1 — CMLJ204LM.I1 · Prerequisite: Electrical Job Information 14 credits

Materials: Conduit Bending and Fabrication Textbook and TI-30X IIS calculator.

  1. Raceways and Conduit Systems
  2. Cutting and Threading Conduit
  3. Hand Bending 90° Bends
  4. Hand Bending Offsets and Kicks
  5. Hand Bending Saddles and Corner Offsets
  6. Underground Conduit Installation
  7. Resources
  8. Support — Labs
Conduit System Fabrication 2 — CMLJ204LM.I2 · Prerequisite: Conduit Fabrication, Level I4 credits

Material: Conduit Bending and Fabrication Textbook.

  1. Mechanical and Electric Benders
  2. Hydraulic Benders
  3. Advanced Bending Techniques
  4. Resources
  5. Support — Labs
Harassment Prevention: Awareness and Responsibilities — 2026 — CMLJ158LM.G0 credits

Designed to meet applicable DOL and committee anti-harassment training requirements.

  1. Prohibited Harassment
  2. Sexual Harassment
  3. Reporting Harassment
Human Performance, Level IJ154LM2 credits
  1. Introduction to Human Performance
  2. Human Fallibility
  3. Performance Modes
  4. Error Likely Situations
  5. Managing Controls Overview
  6. Performance Model, Managing Controls, and LSW Methods
AHA Heartsaver First Aid CPR AEDNJ1750.LC1 · Local advanced course0 credits

Required first-aid, CPR, and AED training. Follow the instructor’s certification and attendance requirements.

OSHA 30NJ1750.LC2 · Local advanced course0 credits

Required OSHA 30 training. Follow the instructor’s completion and documentation requirements.

FIRST-SESSION LABS

Electrical Industry Applications Manual

Item J300.K. The first-session checklist assigns OSHA 30 plus Applications lessons 8, 9, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, and 20. Each listed application is worth 0.25 credit.

  • 8 Using a Hacksaw
  • 9 Lifting and Carrying Conduit
  • 11 Hand Bending a 90° Stub-up
  • 12 Hand Bending a Box Offset
  • 17 Installing Armor Clad and Metal Clad Cables
  • 18 Installing a Recessed “Can” Luminaire
  • 19 Installing a 2′ × 4′ Fluorescent Luminaire
  • 20 Wire Pulling Techniques
View all 25 Applications Manual lessons
  1. Splicing Conductors
  2. Installing a Duplex Receptacle
  3. Installing a Single Pole Switch
  4. Installing a Switched Duplex Receptacle
  5. Proper Device Installation Techniques, GFCI Rough-In
  6. Using Anchors to Install a Metal Enclosure
  7. Installing a Retrofit “Old Work” Electrical Box
  8. Using a Hacksaw
  9. Lifting and Carrying Conduit
  10. Erecting an Extension Ladder
  11. Hand Bending a 90° Stub-up
  12. Hand Bending a Box Offset
  13. Cutting a Hole in a Metal Enclosure for an EMT Connector
  14. Installing a Raceway Support System (Trapeze)
  15. Threading Conduit (Tapered Thread)
  16. Installing Flexible Metallic Conduit
  17. Installing Armor Clad and Metal Clad Cables
  18. Installing a Luminaire (Recessed “Can” Fixture)
  19. Installing a Luminaire (2′ × 4′ Fluorescent)
  20. Wire Pulling Techniques
  21. Terminating a Category 5e or 6/6A Work Area Outlet
  22. Labeling and Marking
  23. “Trimming Out” an Electrical Panel
  24. Exothermic Welding of Copper Conductors
  25. Connecting a Dual-Voltage, Wye-Wound Motor
YEAR 02

Wiring methods & branch circuits

Turn theory into accurate installations and calculations.

Classroom focus

  • Branch-circuit requirements and overcurrent protection
  • Conductor ampacity, insulation, and terminal temperature
  • Box fill and raceway fill
  • Voltage drop fundamentals
  • Grounding and bonding fundamentals
  • Blueprint symbols and elementary diagrams

Lab & field focus

  • EMT stubs, offsets, saddles, and parallel bends
  • Raceway support, protection, and routing
  • Conductor pulling, identification, splicing, and termination
  • Single-pole, 3-way, and 4-way switching
  • Reading plans and laying out branch circuits

Be able to explain

  • Which items count toward box fill
  • Why conductor ampacity and breaker size are not always identical
  • How bend angle changes offset spacing and shrink
  • The difference between grounding and bonding
  • How a 3-way switching circuit operates
Second-year self-check
  1. List every value needed before completing a box-fill calculation.
  2. Lay out a 6-inch offset using the selected bend angle and multiplier.
  3. Explain how ambient temperature and conductor count may change ampacity.
  4. Trace the current path through a 3-way lighting circuit.
  5. Use a plan to produce a basic material takeoff.
YEAR 03

Motors, controls & transformers

Learn how electrical power is transformed, controlled, and converted into work.

Classroom focus

  • Magnetism, inductance, and AC relationships
  • Single-phase and three-phase systems
  • Transformer ratios, kVA, current, and protection
  • Motor theory, nameplates, tables, and branch-circuit rules
  • Relays, contactors, overloads, starters, and control diagrams
  • Basic troubleshooting logic

Lab & field focus

  • Transformer connections and voltage checks
  • Motor starter wiring and control stations
  • Seal-in, interlock, reversing, and timer circuits
  • Reading ladder diagrams from left to right
  • Safe meter selection and systematic testing

Be able to explain

  • Wye and delta voltage relationships
  • Why motor conductors, overloads, and short-circuit protection use different rules
  • How a control transformer supplies a starter circuit
  • What happens when a seal-in contact opens
  • How to divide a circuit during troubleshooting
Third-year self-check
  1. Calculate secondary current for a 45 kVA, 208 V, three-phase transformer.
  2. Identify the correct source for motor full-load current in a sizing problem.
  3. Draw a basic three-wire start-stop control circuit.
  4. Explain the purpose of overload protection.
  5. Describe a safe troubleshooting sequence for a starter that will not hold in.
YEAR 04

Advanced & special systems

Connect power distribution with life safety, communications, and automation.

Classroom focus

  • Services, feeders, grounding electrodes, and bonding
  • Emergency, legally required, and optional standby systems
  • Fire alarm, signaling, and communications pathways
  • Hazardous locations and special occupancies
  • PLC fundamentals, sensors, outputs, and ladder logic
  • Variable-frequency drives and electronic controls

Lab & field focus

  • One-lines, risers, specifications, and equipment schedules
  • Fire alarm device circuits and interface awareness
  • PLC input-logic-output exercises
  • VFD terminations and basic parameter concepts
  • Grounding and bonding installation checks

Be able to explain

  • How separately derived systems are grounded and bonded
  • How emergency and optional standby systems differ
  • Why fire alarm pathways require supervision
  • How a PLC scan connects inputs, logic, and outputs
  • How a VFD changes motor speed
Fourth-year self-check
  1. Trace the effective ground-fault current path for a separately derived system.
  2. Compare three categories of standby power systems.
  3. Identify initiating, notification, and supervisory fire alarm functions.
  4. Write simple PLC logic for a maintained output with a stop condition.
  5. Use a one-line diagram to identify the power path from service to load.
YEAR 05

Journeyman readiness & leadership

Bring code, calculations, planning, and field judgment together.

Classroom focus

  • Service, feeder, and load calculations
  • Advanced motor and transformer calculations
  • Fault-current and coordination awareness
  • Blueprint reading, estimating, and project documentation
  • Code-review strategy and timed navigation
  • Supervision, communication, and professional responsibility

Lab & field focus

  • Planning labor, material, equipment, and work sequence
  • Directing safe daily work and pre-task planning
  • Quality-control checks and inspection preparation
  • Troubleshooting from symptoms to verified cause
  • Clear documentation of testing and corrections

Be able to explain

  • How to plan work before assigning tasks
  • How to verify a completed installation
  • How to communicate a scope or safety change
  • How to train an apprentice without skipping safety
  • How to find and defend a code answer
Fifth-year self-check
  1. Complete a timed service or feeder calculation and cite each rule used.
  2. Build a safe troubleshooting plan for an unknown equipment failure.
  3. Prepare a material-and-labor plan from a drawing and specification.
  4. Explain how you would correct unsafe work while protecting the crew.
  5. Teach a first-year apprentice one task using a clear demonstration and verification.

WEEKLY STUDY SYSTEM

Read it. Find it. Work it. Explain it.

  1. Preview: Scan the lesson objectives before class.
  2. Locate: Find every assigned code reference yourself.
  3. Practice: Work problems without looking at the answer.
  4. Correct: Write why each missed answer was wrong.
  5. Teach: Explain the lesson aloud in plain language.
  6. Connect: Identify where the lesson appears on the job.