Organization

The Independent Electrical Contractors, Inc. (IEC), headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, is a national trade association. Established in 1957, IEC represents nearly 3,000 electrical and systems contracting companies from across the United States. IEC exists to promote the success of all electrical contractors through communications, training, and guidance. To accomplish this, IEC provides its membership with education and training for contractors, workers, potential workers, and the general public.

IEC has been training apprentices since 1972 and first received recognition from the Department of Labor's Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training (now Office of Apprenticeship). The introduction in the early 1990s of a standardized, high-quality apprenticeship program made a significant impact on the electrical industry. Starting with an enrollment in 1994 of approximately 2,000 students. In 2021, IEC's enrollment was near 14,000 apprentices across the 50 plus chapters nationwide. The apprenticeship program is a formalized system of education combining on-the-job training and classroom instruction as defined by the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations. IEC's apprenticeship curriculum is designed to guide the classroom portion of the training for someone studying to be an electrician. The classroom portion consists of a minimum of 144 hours per year with lectures, demonstrations, labs and homework, and comprehensive examinations. Apprentices also receive a minimum of 2,000 hours per year of on-the-job training. IEC established the program's standards and administrative guidelines in cooperation with the Office of Apprenticeship. The IEC apprenticeship curriculum is divided into four one-year courses.

Development of the curriculum and the responsibility for quality control resides with the IEC National Apprenticeship and Training Committee, which receives support from the IEC Training and Education Department and the IEC National Board of Directors. Local Chapter Apprenticeship and Training Committees provide local compliance with IEC National and Office of Apprenticeship standards and guidelines.