Electrical apprentices participate in hands-on project management training supported by scholarship funding.
United States, September 14, 2025
A U.S. Department of Labor–registered project management apprenticeship for the electrical construction industry has grown rapidly, enrolling more than 100 apprentices across 10+ cohorts. The program, operated with 60+ contractor partners in over 25 states, combines classroom instruction and on-the-job learning to prepare job-ready project managers for complex electrical projects. Scholarship support from the Wesco Cares workforce development initiative helped fund the first year and will continue as the program expands. A formal graduation will recognize graduates from the initial cohorts, with additional rolling graduations and employer engagement at industry events.
A nationwide apprenticeship in electrical project management will mark an early milestone next month when more than 100 participants complete the program supported by a private scholarship effort. The first formal graduation, coming in October, will recognize 20 apprentices from the program’s initial cohorts.
The program recently reached its one-year anniversary and now includes just over 100 apprentices spread across more than 10 cohorts. The training is registered with the U.S. Department of Labor and runs in partnership with more than 60 NECA contractors across more than 25 states. New cohorts launch roughly once per month, and graduations occur on a rolling schedule throughout the year.
The apprentices receive financial support from a scholarship program launched in 2024 to back this registered apprenticeship. Program backers say the scholarship was put in place to strengthen workforce development as projects grow in size and complexity, and to help firms hire and retain trained project managers.
Company leaders plan to meet with industry members at a major industry convention in Chicago in mid-September to discuss the partnership’s progress and the scholarship program’s results to date. The event is scheduled for Sept. 12–15 and will include on-site conversations about apprenticeship growth and workforce needs.
The apprenticeship aims to change how electrical contractors find, train and keep project management talent by providing formal, job-ready training. Organizers describe the effort as one of the largest and fastest-growing registered project management apprenticeships in the country. Over 60 contractor partners deliver the instruction and on-the-job experience needed for apprentices to move into supervisory and management roles on capital projects.
The course structure pairs classroom or virtual training with hands-on work at contractor sites. Apprentices come from many parts of the United States and the apprenticeship moves new groups through instruction and field time on a monthly cadence, with formal recognition events held periodically.
Backers say the apprenticeship responds to a long-running labor shortage in the trades and a rising need for managers who can handle larger, more complex electrical projects. The scholarship portion was intended to reduce barriers to entry and to encourage a new generation of business-minded leaders in electrical construction.
In a related move from late 2023, the sponsoring company joined a federal program that helps service members transition to civilian work by placing them in industry training and apprenticeships during their final months of active duty. That move included openings in supply chain and operations roles in several U.S. cities and a veterans-focused internal group that supports employee veterans and families.
The company supporting the scholarship is a publicly listed distributor and services firm based in Pittsburgh. It operates worldwide, with hundreds of sites and tens of thousands of employees, and offers products and services across electrical, communications and utility markets. The company has said it will continue to invest in the registered apprenticeship moving forward.
The first graduation ceremony in October will mark an important step for the program’s earliest participants and set the tone for additional recognitions planned year-round. Apprentices and contractor partners will continue to cycle through monthly cohorts as the program expands into more regions.
It is a U.S. Department of Labor–registered apprenticeship focused on preparing people for project management roles in electrical construction. The program combines classroom or virtual instruction with on-the-job training delivered through contractor partners.
There are just over 100 apprentices organized into more than 10 cohorts, with new cohorts starting about once per month.
Graduations happen on a rolling basis throughout the year. The first institutional ceremony for initial cohorts is scheduled for October.
A corporate scholarship program launched in 2024 provides financial support to apprentices. The company has said it will continue that investment to support workforce development.
The supporting organization participates in a federal transition program that places service members into industry training and apprenticeships. That program allows qualifying service members to gain civilian work experience during the final months of active duty.
Contractors can partner with the registered apprenticeship to host apprentices or deliver instruction. Interested firms typically contact the program administrators to learn about partnership steps and requirements.
For full program details, including application and partnership information, check the official apprenticeship and scholarship program websites.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program type | U.S. Department of Labor–registered project management apprenticeship |
| Number of apprentices | More than 100 apprentices across 10+ cohorts |
| Scholarship support | Corporate scholarship program launched in 2024 to fund apprentices |
| Geographic reach | Partnership with 60+ contractor firms across 25+ states |
| Graduation cadence | Rolling graduations; first cohort ceremony in October (20 apprentices) |
| Related workforce work | Participation in a federal SkillBridge program for transitioning service members and internal veteran support initiatives |
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