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electrical technician

What is it?

An Electrical Technician (or electrical tech) is a skilled specialist who installs, maintains, tests, and repairs electrical systems and electronic components.

While electricians generally focus on the structural wiring of buildings, electrical technicians often work on the specialized equipment connected to those power sources. They bridge the gap between electrical engineering and hands-on maintenance, working in a massive variety of environments—including manufacturing plants, power companies, construction sites, automation facilities, and research labs.

 

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

An electrical technician’s daily tasks require high precision and a strict adherence to safety protocols. Depending on their industry, daily responsibilities typically include:

  • Diagnosing System Failures: Using diagnostic tools like digital multimeters, oscilloscopes, and circuit testers to troubleshoot electrical malfunctions, faulty wiring, or failed components in machinery.

  • Reading Technical Blueprints: Interpreting electrical schematics, blueprints, wiring diagrams, and manufacturer specifications to understand how a system is supposed to flow and function.

  • Installing and Assembling Equipment: Laying out, building, and testing electrical circuitry, control panels, switches, transformers, and electronic systems.

  • Routine Preventative Maintenance: Inspecting, cleaning, and testing electrical systems and equipment on a regular schedule to prevent unexpected breakdowns and maximize efficiency.

  • Programming Automated Systems: In industrial settings, working with Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and robotics to ensure automated assembly lines are running correctly.

  • Ensuring Code and Safety Compliance: Verifying that all work complies with the National Electrical Code (NEC) and strict occupational safety regulations (such as OSHA and NFPA 70E standards for electrical safety).

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Length of Training

32 Weeks/8 Months

Type of Training

In Person

* Salary Range

$36,000-$93,000

(entry level – experienced)

An electrical technician in a hard hat and safety vest inspects and records data from an open electrical control panel in an industrial setting.

Is it Right For You?

Because working with electricity carries inherent risks, a great electrical technician must balance sharp mental analytical skills with flawless technical execution.

 

Core Qualities 

  • Uncompromising Safety Mindset: Electricity is unforgiving. A great technician never cuts corners, possesses a healthy respect for live power, and is meticulous about lock-out/tag-out (LOTO) safety procedures.

  • Extreme Attention to Detail: Connecting the wrong wire, misreading a voltage requirement, or leaving a terminal loose can short out a million-dollar machine or cause an electrical fire. Precision is non-negotiable.

  • Excellent Color Vision: This is a vital physical requirement for the job, as technicians must be able to quickly and accurately identify distinct, color-coded wires, resistors, and indicator lights.

  • Patience and Composure: Troubleshooting a complex, intermittent electrical glitch inside a massive control panel can be tedious. A top-tier tech stays calm, methodical, and focused under pressure.

 

Professional Skills 

  • Analytical Troubleshooting: Electrical tech work is highly cerebral. When a machine stops working, the tech must use deductive reasoning to trace the issue back through relays, fuses, and circuits to find the exact failure point.

  • Mathematical and Scientific Literacy: A strong grasp of algebra and physics is used daily to apply Ohm’s Law ($V = IR$), calculate power distribution, determine wire gauge requirements, and analyze electrical loads.

  • Technological and Software Proficiency: Modern systems rely heavily on smart tech. Techs must be comfortable using specialized diagnostic software, calibration tools, and interfacing with digital control networks.

  • Manual Dexterity and Hand-Eye Coordination: Stripping delicate wires, soldering small components onto circuit boards, and manipulating tools in tight spaces requires steady hands and fine motor skills.

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A group of graduates in caps and gowns celebrating outdoors. Text on the image reads "Over $12 million in scholarships being awarded." These scholarships are paving the way for promising careers.
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Stephanie underwood - Chief financial Officer

Stephanie Underwood serves as Chief Financial Officer at Great Jobs KC, where she leads the organization’s financial strategy in support of its mission to create economic mobility through education and workforce opportunities. With more than 17 years of experience in nonprofit finance, Stephanie brings deep expertise in financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and compliance. She is passionate about using her career as a platform to serve and support mission-driven organizations, helping them maximize impact through strong financial stewardship.

Prior to joining Great Jobs KC, Stephanie served as Chief Financial Officer for Griffith Centers, a behavioral and mental health organization, where she oversaw financial operations for a multi-million-dollar organization spanning residential, educational, and community-based programs. She also spent nearly a decade as Vice President of Accounting Services at NFP Partners, providing CFO-level leadership to nonprofit organizations across the country, with a focus on strategic growth, audit readiness, and governance.

Outside of her professional role, Stephanie volunteers her time at her church and serves on the board of a local nonprofit. She is known for her collaborative leadership style and her commitment to aligning financial strategy with mission impact. She holds a Master of Science in Accounting and is proud to be a first-generation college graduate.

 

 

 

Adult Learner College Scholarship

The Adult Learner Scholarship application is closed. Please click GET STARTED to be added to communication reminders on when to apply during the next open cycle.

Program offers:

  • Up to $25,000 paid directly to the college over the course of up to six years.
  • Once awarded, the Scholar can enroll full or part-time the fall semester following awarding.
  • Scholarship can be used at any of our college partners. See our current list of partners HERE.
  • Scholarship can be used towards an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, or a credit-bearing credential. 

Eligibility Requirements: 

  • Be a high school graduate or GED holder (24 years or older).
  • Live in one of the six eligible counties. (Kansas: Wyandotte, Johnson; Missouri: Cass, Clay, Jackson, Platte)
  • Be income eligible. (FASFA Student Aid Index of 12,000 or less)
  • Have not previously earned a bachelor’s degree.
  • Have not previously been awarded a KC Scholars Scholarship (Traditional or Adult Learner).
  • Is not currently enrolled in a Great Jobs KC Skills Training Program.
  • US Citizenship/Residency is not required to apply.

If you need more information on program details, please find our FAQs HERE

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Jimmy Swift - Chief Operating Officer

As the Chief Operating Officer, Jimmy Swift is responsible for overseeing our core programs, our adult workforce development program, Great Jobs KC tuition-free job training, and our KC Scholars Scholarship Program, which includes 11th Grade Traditional Scholarships and Adult Learner Scholarships. 

Jimmy has a career in education that spans more than 25 years and is built around supporting and improving the performance of career training programs and leading the operations of degree-granting institutions. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in management and has served as Campus President, Vice President of Career Services, and Executive Director of various career schools.  

Most recently, Jimmy served as the Vice President of PLA University at Phalen Leadership Academies, bringing access to job skill training to the parents and families of the Scholars served by Phalen Leadership schools across the country.  Beyond his higher education experience, Jimmy serves as the Executive Board Chairman for Project Safety Net NY, a nonprofit community-based agency delivering a broad range of health, education, and prevention services to the New York Community. As the Chief Operating Officer for Great Jobs KC, he and his team are poised to make a substantial impact on the economic stability and future of Kansas City.

Great Jobs KC
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