Loudoun Schools Launch Electrical Training Program As Demand For Skilled Workers Grows

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — Loudoun County Public Schools is launching a free after-school electrical pre-apprenticeship program for high school seniors.

The 160-hour program, developed with Independent Electrical Contractors Chesapeake, or IECC, is scheduled to begin in January 2027 and run through May. Classes will be held after school at the Academies of Loudoun. The program will be the school division's first electrical pre-apprenticeship and the first evening program offered at the Academies.

The initial class will be limited to 20 seniors.

LCPS said the program grew out of feedback from regional employers and workforce partners who identified a need for more workers trained in the electrical trades. The school system says the new program is intended to give students the skills and credentials to enter the electrical workforce directly or continue into a formal apprenticeship.

Students who complete the program will receive an IECC National Pre-Apprenticeship Certificate, OSHA 10 for Construction certification and First Aid/CPR certification.

The program also provides a direct route into IECC's four-year registered apprenticeship program. Students who successfully complete the LCPS course will not have to reapply to the apprenticeship program. After receiving their final grades and completion certificates, they will automatically transition to apprentice status and, pending employment, enter the first year of the program.

Students will also prepare professional resumes and interview with potential employers for full-time electrical jobs, potentially allowing them to move into the workforce shortly after graduating from high school.

LCPS said the program was developed after Career, Technical and Adult Education staff heard from workforce partners through the division's Workforce Summit, Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee meetings and workforce roundtables.

The initiative is part of a broader LCPS effort to provide alternatives and complements to traditional college pathways, including career and technical education, work-based learning and apprenticeships.