Skills, Education and Experience

To work as an electrician in BC you require:

• completion of secondary school or equivalent course work
• a certificate of qualification from the Industry Training Authority

OR

• registration in an apprenticeship program leading to qualification

Certified electricians are required to write the Red Seal Interprovincial Exam. Those who pass this exam are awarded the Red Seal, which means you can work as an electrician in the other provinces or territories without having to re-certify.

To work as a Construction Electrician, it is recommended that you hold a certificate of qualification from the Industry Training Authority or registration in a four-year apprenticeship leading to qualification.  Employers may however require trade certification. The electrician apprenticeship requires a combination of work experience and in-school instruction that typically takes four years to complete and is available through secondary schools, colleges and technical institutes or by direct entry to the workplace.  Interprovincial Standards Red Seal certification is available to qualified electricians through the Industry Training Authority.

To work as an industrial electrician in B.C., it is necessary to hold a certificate of qualification from the Industry Training Authority or be registered in a four-year apprenticeship that will lead to qualification. Requirements for trade certification include:

Completion of a four-year apprenticeship program or a combination of more than five years work experience and some high school, college or industry courses in industrial electrical equipment

To work as a power systems technician, it is necessary to hold a qualification recognized by the Industry Training Authority.  Completion of secondary school is usually required, plus:

Completion of a four-year apprenticeship program for power system electricians

OR

a combination of over four years of work experience in the trade and some college or industry courses in electrical technology is usually required.

For more information on the certification process, see:

BC Industry Training Authority (ITA):

If you have significant work experience as an electrician but have never been certified in Canada, you may apply to challenge the Red Seal certification. (To challenge you require 9,000 hours of directly related work experience).  Being approved to challenge means that if you meet the criteria for your trade you will not be required to go through the full program. Instead, you will be allowed to become certified by writing and passing the final exam. In this case the completion of an apprenticeship program is not required.

The BC Industry Training Authority (ITA) provides assistance through the Immigrants in Trades Training Initiative.  For information see: