Pre-Apprenticeship Program Launches for Stark County Students
IBEW Local 540 and a Canton training center are letting high school juniors and seniors start electrical apprenticeship training while they finish school.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Internships
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IBEW Local 540 and the Canton Electrical Joint Apprenticeship Training Center launched a pre-apprenticeship program for high school juniors and seniors. The program has 116 students from eleven Stark County school districts, with two more districts in the process of joining.
Why it matters
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the nation needs 80,000 new electricians each year for the next decade to meet demand. Growing workloads in Ohio tied to data centers and specialty industries make early pipeline-building a practical response for local employers and workers.
The program enrolls 116 students, and it received funding from the BlackRock Foundation as one of 15 awarded organizations and the only Ohio recipient. The completion rate and post-program placement figures have not been reported.
The players
IBEW Local 540
The local chapter of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers that represents electricians in the region and helped launch the program.
Canton Electrical Joint Apprenticeship Training Center
The joint apprenticeship training center in Canton that runs the electrical apprenticeship curriculum for the local union and employers.
BlackRock Foundation
The philanthropic arm of the global investment firm BlackRock, which awarded funding to the program.
The details
Students can complete their first year of apprenticeship training while still in high school and earn credit toward graduation requirements. Officials have identified 47 career paths for program completers, and the IBEW Local 540 has about 1,000 members.
Timeline
March: Don Fox began working on the program and securing funding.
October 2026: Officials gathered at the JATC to learn about the program.
Coming years: IBEW Local 540 membership is expected to grow to about 3,000.
Labor Pipeline
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a need for 80,000 new electricians annually over the next decade, and the Canton program is a local attempt to build supply against that federal estimate. Its early-enrollment model moves recruitment into high school rather than waiting for post-graduation hiring.
Stark County high school juniors and seniors can ask their districts whether they are participating, since eleven districts already send students. Students who complete the pre-apprenticeship can reach journeyman status in three years rather than four, with a starting journeyman salary around $150,000 per year including benefits.
The takeaway
Early apprenticeship in high school lets students earn wages and retirement credits while still completing their diplomas. Students weighing skilled trades should check whether their own school district participates before choosing a path.
Further reading
Explore more internship opportunities in the skilled trades available to students.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Canton Repository.
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