Skip to main content
IUEC apprentices coming into the trade are immediately enrolled in a four-plus year USDOL-Registered Apprenticeship program. Through classroom courses, hands-on experiential learning, and online virtual simulations, the NEIEP curriculum provides apprentices with the theoretical foundations and practical skills they need to become the industry’s most highly-skilled elevator constructors. Along with their classroom learning, IUEC apprentices must complete 8,000 hours of on-the-job learning under the supervision of an experienced mechanic AND pass a capstone Mechanic Exam to graduate to mechanic status.
New apprentices serve a 12-month probationary period. During their first six months, they are required to successfully complete a safety-focused probationary training course provided by NEIEP (NH002). Units covered include: Introduction to Training & Awareness; Safety for Basic Tools & Tasks; Working Safely; Harassment & Discrimination in the Workplace; Financial Tools for the Trades; Customer Relations; Tools for Success: Critical Skills for the Construction Industry; and Elevator Industry Work Preservation Fund for New Hires.
After their 6-month probationary training ends, an apprentice will begin their first semester, Semester 100: Trade Skills, which covers general construction and industry-specific safety for elevator constructors. Students earn their OSHA 10 construction certifications along with certifications in American Heart Association Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED and Scaffold and Access Industry Association (SAIA) Competent Person for Framed and Suspended Scaffolding awareness. Semester 100 students are also trained on core concepts of measurement, technical mathematics, and technical/mechanical drawings.
Semester 200: Hoistway Structuresintroduces apprentices to special tools and mechanical equipment used in the elevator industry, then moves on to elevator rail and pit structure installation procedures, machine, sheave, car/counterweight, and suspension means installation, including layout procedures for hoistways and machine rooms. Students enrolled in Semester 200 are trained to challenge the industry’s rigorous Certified Signal Person and Rigger exam and earn an ANSI/ANAB-accredited certification card that allows them to do rigging and signaling work on jobsites across the United States.
In Semester 300: Electrical Fundamentals, the apprentice will go deeper into technical mathematics, learning how to apply their mathematical knowledge to Ohm’s law, calculating voltage, current, and resistance as part of the electrical work they do in the field. Basic circuit components, as well as the fundamentals of parallel, series, and series-parallel circuits, are explained. This semester culminates in lessons on electrical theory for Alternating Current and Direct Current. ASME A17.1 elevator code and National Electrical Code (NEC) is embedded in the curriculum throughout the program.
Semester 400: Electrical Theory and Application teaches the apprentice how to use multimeters safely and correctly. It expands on AC theory, specialized measuring devices, transformers, DC motor and generator theory, and AC motor and motor starting theory to help students understand the many different types of equipment they’ll find working in the field today. Hands-on labs are used extensively during this semester. In addition to helping students apply the theoretical concepts they learn about in the textbooks, these labs teach the proper setup, maintenance, and troubleshooting procedures so important for students to be familiar with when they are working around energized elevator components in the field.
NEIEP-trained mechanics learn the most effective and efficient installation techniques in the industry during Semester 500: Installation. From wiring diagram and electrical print reading to start-up procedures, this semester is packed with valuable information on piping and wiring of elevator electrical systems, passenger door installation, and freight door installation. In addition, dumbwaiter installation, asbestos awareness, and the basics of hoistway and machine room maintenance are covered in semester 500.
Semester 600: Solid-State is dedicated to solid-state equipment. It begins with a review of mathematics for Ohm’s law. Concepts of series, parallel, and series-parallel resistance are covered in detail, along with advanced topics in magnetism/electromagnetism. It then moves into the basic components of solid-state systems: capacitors/capacitance, inductors/inductance, diodes, transistors/thyristors, and analog and digital integrated circuits. Because solid-state technology is always advancing, Semester 600 keeps its emphasis on the basics with the expectation that students will take advantage of NEIEP and company-specific continuing education and specialized courses to stay current on emerging technologies and the most modern equipment.
Semester 700: Power and Logic focuses on elevator electrical schematic reading and teaches advanced troubleshooting techniques for elevator controllers. These techniques are honed using an immersive lab that places the apprentice in a virtual environment. The apprentice is challenged to repair a four-stop elevator with over 350 real-world faults, helping the apprentice to become ready to graduate to mechanic status.
The last semester of the apprenticeship program, Semester 800: Advanced Topics in Elevators, covers specialized topics including escalators and moving walks, rack and pinion equipment, and limited use limited application (LULA) elevators. It also covers installation, theory, and maintenance procedures for hydraulic elevators, and certifies elevator mechanic apprentices in OSHA 10 General Industry.
Once an elevator mechanic apprentice successfully passes all eight semesters, they must pass a validated capstone exam covering all the content they learned in the program. After the exam is passed, they graduate to mechanic status.
NEIEP credits are recognized as college-level learning and can be converted to up to 52 transfer credits through partnerships with accredited colleges and universities across the United States. Click below to learn more about the colleges and universities that provide additional learning opportunities for graduates of the apprenticeship program.
All NEIEP courses are covered by members’ education benefit and there are no additional costs for apprentices or mechanics to attend. Check out NEIEP’s course catalog for more information on the many learning opportunities offered by the greatest trade in the construction industry.