King George High School to Host Electrical Pre-Apprenticeship Program
It will be the first IEC Chesapeake pre-apprenticeship program in Virginia.
By Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT
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This spring, an inaugural cohort of 10 King George High School students will participate in a new electrical pre-apprenticeship program, offered with the non-profit trade organization IEC Chesapeake.
Graduates of the 160-hour program, which includes instruction and hands-on training, will walk away with four certifications and skills allowing them to enter “directly into [a] living wage [career],” according to a press release issued this week by the school division.
The division embarked on a three-year, grant-funded initiative, led by Rappahannock Goodwill Industries, to research and design pipeline programs into sustainable careers for KGHS students.
“After conducting market research, analyzing labor statistics, and holding subcommittee meetings with KGCS business partners, electrical was determined to be the most viable and high-demand pathway,” the press release states.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for an electrician in 2024 was just under $30 per hour, and $62,350 per year. Employment opportunities are expected to grow by 9%, “much faster than the average for all occupations,” which is 3%.
The new pre-apprenticeship program, which the School Board approved unanimously last month, is ICE Chesapeake’s first such program in Virginia.
Since stepping up its work-based learning program—which has engaged with local business owners such as Bobby McLaughlin, owner of Four Elements Electric of King George—KGHS has seen five graduates hired as electrical apprentices. Four Elements hired its first apprentice from the high school in December, and Helix Electric has hired a total of four apprentices, two of whom are working on the Kalahari Waterpark project in Spotsylvania, according to the press release.
“For many years now, I have been aware of the growing need for skilled tradespeople in the workforce,” said McLaughlin, who provided “critical” funding to launch the new pre-apprenticeship program, in the press release.
“In my search for a solution, the KGCS CTE Work-Based Learning program found me,” he said. “I attended several stakeholder meetings and quickly learned that this program had the potential to rapidly produce quality candidates to enter the workforce in the building trades. If I was going to invest my time, energy, and money in something that would have a direct impact on helping solve this issue, it had to be this program.”
The IEC pre-apprenticeship program has been running in Maryland and Washington, D.C. for more than a decade, according to CEO Grant Shmelzer. Students who complete the program will participate in an apprenticeship hiring day at the high school in May, and hired apprentices will begin working over the summer and taking weekly classes at Germanna Community College, “progressing through IEC Chesapeake’s four-year Virginia-approved program leading to a Journeyman’s Electrical License,” according to the press release.
Jesse Boyd, superintendent of King George schools, expressed gratitude for the initiative’s partners.
“This partnership gives our students invaluable hands-on training and industry-recognized skills, while also creating a clear pathway into high-demand careers,” he said. “Opportunities like this one not only prepare our graduates for long-term success but also strengthen the workforce and economic future of King George County.”
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