The Electrician Common Core-Level 1 program is designed to prepare apprentices to upgrade the knowledge and skills they have acquired through working with Electrical contractors in residential electrical work for short periods of time.  Students work and learn in the classroom and laboratory to access and utilize resource materials. Using this learning, the students then follow appropriate procedures for installing and maintaining electrical equipment.

In B.C., an individual can become certified as a Construction Electrician by completing the Construction Electrician (Electrician) program. This Electrician Common Core-Level 1 program provides adults who have employer sponsorship with an opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills needed to attain an Electrician Common Core-Level 1 apprenticeship ticket.

Prior to acceptance, applicants must successfully complete the admissions interview and meet each of the following requirements listed under items 1), and 2) below.

1. Students must be a sponsored apprentice registered with Skilled Trades BC prior to starting the program and writing the Skilled Trades BC Certification Exam
2. Students must fulfil the Language Proficiency Requirement

All applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria (a, b, c, or d)

• a) Evidence that 3 years of full-time secondary education (Grades 8-12), or 2 years if the Grades are 10, 11, or 12, have been successfully completed in the program’s language of instruction in a country where the language of instruction is one of the principal languages*.

  *Applicants are advised to contact ACE Community College to confirm whether their country is officially recognized as one where English is the principal language of instruction for the purpose of meeting this requirement.

• b) 2 years of full-time post-secondary education* have been completed in the program’s language of instruction in a country where the language of instruction is one of the principal languages (includes international education credentials recognized through WES, ICES, and IQAS).

  *Language development courses (i.e., ELL courses) cannot be included in this calculation.

• c) Provide official, verified transcripts showing results for one of the English language proficiency tests listed below, with scores that meet or exceed the minimum requirements specified for each test.

  Test results must be dated no more than two years before the start date of the program

  • International English Language Testing System:(IELTS) Academic Minimum overall score of 5.5
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) IBT: Minimum overall score of 46
  • Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL): Minimum overall score of 40
  • Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP): Listening 6, Speaking 6, Reading 5, and Writing 5.
  • Duolingo English Test (DET): Minimum overall score of 95
  • Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic: Minimum overall score of 43
  • Cambridge English Qualifications: B2 First exam (FCE)
  • Institutions may include other Cambridge Qualifications at a higher level (i.e., C2 Proficiency (CPE)): Minimum overall score of 160 or “C”
  • Cambridge Linguaskill: Minimum overall B2 level
  • LANGUAGECERT Academic: Minimum overall B2 level
  • The Michigan English Test (MET): Minimum overall B2 level
  • iTEP Academic: Minimum overall score of 3.5
  • EIKEN: Minimum placement of Grade Pre-1

• d) Mature student applicants ONLY:

  Applicant is 19 years or older at the start of the program and is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who cannot access their educational records or provide sufficient evidence of secondary or post-secondary education as outlined above:

  • I. Applicant must provide attestation that they have completed at least three years of full-time instruction in English in a country where English is one of the principal languages.

• II. Applicant completes an Accuplacer English Assessment (Next Generation: Reading, Writing, and WritePlacer) and achieves the following minimum scores:
  • ✓ Reading: 230
  • ✓ Writing: 230
  • ✓ WritePlacer: 4

This program aims to provide learners with the necessary skills and aptitude required to advance their career as an electrical apprentice in various settings: residential, commercial, and other electrical contractors. Students will learn all of the general area competencies required for work-based training and Level 1, understand the apprentice pathway to certification, and be prepared to write the Skilled Trades BC exam for the Electrician common core-Level 1 program at the conclusion of the technical training.

Required Reference Material

• 1) Electrician Apprenticeship Program: Level 1: Harmonized (2018) – Print Edition – Two (2) Binder Set.
  • a. AUTHOR: SKILLED TRADES BC
  • b. PUBLISHER: King’s Printer
• 2) C22.1:24 Canadian Electrical Code, Part I (28th edition), Safety Standard for Electrical Installations
  • a. AUTHOR: CSA Group
  • b. PUBLISHER: CSA Group
• 3) Electrician Common Core-Level1 Exercise Book
  • a. AUTHOR: ACE Community College
  • b. PUBLISHER: ACE Community College
• 4) Electrician Common Core-Level1 Lab Book
  • a. AUTHOR: ACE Community College
  • b. PUBLISHER: ACE Community College

Reference Books (Optional)

• 1) Delmar’s Standard Textbook of Electricity, 7th Edition
  • AUTHOR: Stephen L. Herman –
  • PUBLISHER: Nelson Canada
• 2) Applications of Electrical Construction
  • AUTHORS: Robert Clidero and Kenneth Sharpe
  • PUBLISHER: Irwin
• 3) Electrician’s Guide To AC Motor Control
  • AUTHORS: Richard Cox
  • PUBLISHER: COXCO (2017)
• 4) AC Fundamentals
  • AUTHORS: Duff and Herman
  • PUBLISHER: Delmar
• 5) DC Fundamentals
  • AUTHORS: Loper and Tedson
  • PUBLISHER: Delmar
• 6) Electrical Wiring – Residential
  • AUTHORS: Mullin and Fraser
  • PUBLISHER: Nelson Canada
• 7) Practical Problems In Mathematics For Electricians
  • AUTHORS: Herman
  • PUBLISHER: Delmar
• 8) Ugly’s Electrical References 2017
  • AUTHORS: Ed Hart
  • PUBLISHER: J&B
• 9. Basic Electricity (2Nd Ed) Schaum’s Outline
  • AUTHORS: Gussow
  • PUBLISHER: McG
• 10. Basic Mathematics For Electricity & Electronics (Schaum’s)
  • AUTHORS: Beiser
  • PUBLISHER: Mhr

• The total program hours are 300.
• The full-time program length is 8 weeks.

The campus determines the start date for this program, and how frequently the program is delivered will depend on enrolments. Students may only enter the program in the introductory phase as the program is cohort-based.

On-campus courses are scheduled Monday to Friday, with students expected to attend all sessions, which are 8 hours in length. Specific class hours and schedule will be provided by the campus at the time of enrolment. In B.C., students normally write the Interprovincial exam during the final week of the last technical training session. The Skilled Trades BC is responsible for tracking technical training session completions in Skilled Trades BC Direct Access and administers the IP Red Seal exam. To qualify to write the IP exam, the student must have completed all of the technical training sessions for the registered electrician trade.

Homework expectation is a minimum of five hours per week to support the course learning.

The program is delivered through in-class instruction.

Course delivery is instructor-led, which combines theory lectures with laboratory demonstrations and practical laboratory engagement.

• In-class lecture including demonstrations
• Focused course activities
• PowerPoint Presentations as applicable
• Application-based exercises

Self-test quizzes are used as a means of validating the student’s module progress. Students are best to use these self-test quizzes as a means of identifying their strengths and the areas they can improve upon. Areas of difficulty are best addressed by seeking additional assistance. A quiz (campus tests ) is included in the course grade, which is taken upon completion of each module. A minimum of 70% is required to pass each test.

Final Skilled Trades BC exam is also taken on the last day

• Successful completion of all on-campus tests, including Skilled Trades BC exam with a minimum 70% overall average.
• Successful completion of level 1 First Aid and WHMIS training which will be completed during program.