Riverside is a city that is a part of the larger Los Angeles statistical metro area.
It is considered the largest city within the nearby Inland Urbanization Area.
Riverside was originally founded as a mission city but is also recognized to be the birthplace of the California Citrus industry, with the first orange trees planted in the early 1870s.
The city, due to its close proximity to the film capital of the world – Hollywood, is often used to film many scenes from movies, television shows, and even music videos.
And various universities, colleges, and vocational trade schools are available to the many residents in and around Riverside, California.
The California Department of Industrial Regulation (DIR) regulations note that any electrician who wishes to work in California legally must become registered and certified with the state – prior to starting.
There are various on-the-job training requirements for California electricians – the exact level and quantity of the required training depends on the level of license one wishes to attain.
In addition to the hands-on learning requirements, each aspiring licensee must complete one of the following options – before sitting/passing the state-administered examination.
- Classroom instruction from a state-sanctioned college or trade school, or
- Work as an apprentice under a certified electrician’s direct supervision. Either way, to earn an electrician license in the Golden State, you must also pass the state exam.
According to the BLS, more than 65,000 electricians were working in California during May of 2021.
The mean yearly salary during the same time for California electricians was $75,870.
Additionally, there were more than 6,500 electricians working in the Greater Riverside area who had a yearly mean wage in 2021 of $70,030, which is about the state average.
1 UEI College – Riverside
UEI College offers an electrician training program that offers both online and in-class learning options in residential, industrial, and commercial industries.
UEI College’s electrician training program provides students with the skills, knowledge, and hands-on training (in the school’s simulation labs) required to become an electrical professional.
UEI College’s training program offers rolling start dates and is designed to be completed in less than one year.
Classes cover the fundamentals of energies, capacitors, and transfers, plus electrical theory, grounding, and more.
Address: 1860 University Ave, Riverside, CA 92507
2 InterCoast Colleges Riverside Campus
InterCoast Colleges Riverside Campus offers a 900-hour – 50-week electrician training program that prepares students for rewarding careers as residential or commercial electricians.
Students enrolled in ICR’s apprenticeship program complete classes in the fundamentals of electricity/power distribution, residential electrical wiring, OSHA standards, commercial/industrial wiring, trade math National Electrical Code, and more.
Address: 21840 Van Buren Boulevard, Riverside, CA 92508
3 Masters Vocational College
Masters Vocational College offers an electrician training program that prepares grads for entry-level electrical jobs.
Graduates of /masters Vocational College find rewarding work as an installer, electrician’s assistant, electrician troubleshooter, or maintenance electrical assistant, to name a few.
Sample classes cover the topics of low voltage, volt gauges, motor control, residential/commercial wiring, and more.
Address: 1660 Chicago Avenue, Riverside, CA 92507
4 The Inland Empire Electrical Training Center
The Inland Empire Electrical Training Center offers electrician training programs through its partnerships with several electrical industry trade organizations.
The IETTC’s trade training option offers a blended hybrid learning environment that includes online tools, classroom instruction, and hands-on lab experiences.
The NECA and IBEW programs are available for apprenticeship and journeyman training, certifications, and a college credit program option.
Address: 1855 Business Center Dr S, San Bernardino, CA 92408
5 California-Nevada Electrical Joint Apprenticeship Training Trust Fund
California-Nevada Electrical Joint Apprenticeship Training Trust Fund operates as a nonprofit organization developed to train workers in the electrical construction industry.
Apprentices enrolled in this JATC program receive classroom instruction and on-the-job training that creates competent electrical craftsmen.
Address: 9846 Limonite Ave, Riverside, CA 92509
6 Center for Employment Training - CET Colton
Center for Employment Training – CET Colton offers a 900-hour electrical trade training program that covers both general and residential skills.
Graduates of CET’s program receive the state Electrician Trainee card.
Coursework for this electrician training option includes commercial electricity, wiring/installation, electric safety, and photovoltaic systems, to name a few.
The program from CET can be completed in less than twelve months, with job placement assistance and financial aid for those who qualify.
Address: 1099 N Pepper Ave, Colton, CA 92324
Schools Summary Table
Read the full guide: How to Become an Electrician