Electrician Apprentice

Launched in 2022, the W. M. Keck Observatory (WMKO) Electrician Apprenticeship Program is designed for kamaʻāina students at Hawaiʻi Community College (HawCC) who are pursuing an Associates in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in Electrical Installation and Maintenance Technology (EIMT).

Applicants have an opportunity to become an Electrician Apprentice at WMKO on Maunakea, Hawaiʻi Island. As one of the largest, most scientifically productive telescopes in the world, the Observatory offers HawCC EIMT students a unique place to gain highly-specialized technical experience and earn crucial commercial/industrial electrician work hours that are otherwise challenging to obtain due to the limited number of commercial/industrial companies on Hawaiʻi Island.

Program Details
For the duration of the 3-year pilot, WMKO selects one HawCC EIMT student per year to shadow Tehero, a licensed supervising electrician who provides journey-level work experience in the following:
• commercial/industrial electrical applications
• development of electrical automation systems
• implementation of arc flash safety/shock hazard protection programs
Upon completion of the program, the apprentice will have earned valuable commercial/industrial electrician work hours that can be applied towards the 10,000 total hours needed to qualify for a journey level license. The apprentice also qualifies for a WMKO tuition reimbursement for their 2nd school year in the HawCC EIMT program.

Qualifications
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
• Enrolled in the HawCC EIMT program
• Have a 3.0 GPA average or higher
• Are from Hawaiʻi

Application Process
Interested HawCC EIMT students must fill out and submit an application. In addition, applicants must submit:

• At least two previous transcripts. *One transcript may be submitted if this is their second semester.
• A "My Roots" essay:

* Share a story of a moment, situation, or relationship that defines you and your values as a person.
* Why did you choose the HawCC EIMT course?
* How do you think your community could benefit from your chosen profession?
* Where do you see yourself in five (5) years?

All qualifying candidates have a chance to tour WMKO's facility on Maunakea where they'll be able to see the observatory's electrical equipment, telescope operations, and the type of work electricians/infrastructure technicians in Hawaiʻi's astronomy community perform. After the tour, candidates are interviewed on-site.