Mountain States lineman apprenticeship

Everyone gets an interview; orientation is the second screen

MSLCAT’s FAQ says every applicant is invited to interview, and each committee member scores you 0 to 100. Your score stays on the list two years.

Not everyone who interviews is invited to orientation; the highest-ranked go first. Orientation is three to five days, unpaid, with a math skills evaluation and climbing wooden poles. It isn’t a guarantee of an apprenticeship, and you must complete all of it to be placed on the ready-to-work list.

Is there an aptitude test?

The FAQ and lineman page don’t mention one. MSLCAT’s registered standards say applicants must sit for the electrical industry’s aptitude test, that it “is not intended to be used as a means for disqualification,” and that it may be given before registration or after selection. What it does in practice isn’t published, so ask.

Experience can skip the line

Under the standards, 1,750 hours of line work qualifies you for a direct interview, and 3,500 hours may qualify you for direct entry. Completed pre-apprenticeship programs the committee recognizes can too.

The license rule

Class A with no restrictions, no permits, a DOT medical certificate and a driving record pulled within 30 days of applying. MSLCAT publishes its own steps for getting a CDL. Tuition is $0.75 per hour worked.

What the job pays

Union journeyman lineman rates in MSLCAT’s states come from federal prevailing-wage determinations, which adopt the local union’s negotiated rate. Apprentices start at 60% of the journeyman rate and reach 90% by the last step (60 / 65 / 70 / 75 / 80 / 85 / 90%).

Utah · Idaho · Colorado · Montana