Required Supplies:Safety glasses
Work shoes
Push-pull tape measure
Work clothing
Textbook:All About Motors; Michaelis, Mutte, Overmeyers, and Taylor; 2006.
Electric Motor Controls; Hockis and Mazar; 1987.
RCA House Wiring; Greg Fletcher; 2004.
National Electric Code – 2008
RCA Electricity Principles; Stephen Herman; 2003.
Wages and Employment Trends:Median Wages (2004)
$20.30 hourly
$42,220 annually
Employment (2004)
656,000 employees
Projected Growth (2004-2014)
Average (10-20%)
Projected Need (2004-2014)
207,000 additional employees
ayanushefsky@wactc.net
(724) 746-2890 ext. 143
Course Objective:Students will obtain education and skills to work as electricians or electrical technicians.
Course Description: Tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students are prepared for employment in the fields of residential, commercial, and industrial wiring, installation, and maintenance of equipment including electrical motors, transformers, control systems, communications systems, fiber optics, and related equipment. Completers of the three-year course receive West Penn Wire CDT (fiber optics) certification.
Course Topics:Residential wiring Transformers
National electric code Generators and alternators
Motor controls AC and DC Commercial and industrial wiring
AC and DC motors Conduit bending
Three phase services Fiber optics
Cooperating Companies:Equipco
Milbower Electric USA – Muse, PA
Tri-state Supply Company – Washington, PA
West Penn Wire Corporation CDT – Washington, PA
Specialized Shop Equipment:
Future tech motor control trainer
Future tech Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) trainer
Rotating equipment trainer
Industrial motor control trainer
Transformer trainer
Fiber optic training equipment
West Penn Wire Fiber Optic Certification
Residential Construction Academy
Articulation Agreements: Presently awaiting a flex degree through California University of Pennsylvania
Community College of Allegheny County – Building Construction Technology
Post-Secondary Training Options: California University of Pennsylvania
Community College of Allegheny County
Pennsylvania College of Technology
Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics
Triangle Tech, Inc.
Potential Careers: Electrical Inspector Electrical Control Technician
Maintenance Electrician Journeyman Electrician (Residential, Commercial)
Security Systems Technician Electrical Sales
Marine/Aviation Electrician
Electrician Skills:Installation — Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Troubleshooting — Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Equipment Selection — Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Repairing — Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Mathematics — Using mathematics to solve problems.