Electrician

Your at-home learning program includes 11 Instruction Sets designed to take you step-by-step through the techniques and skills you’ll employ in the field of electricity. Your first Instruction Set will be sent to you as soon as your enrollment has been accepted. Other Instruction Sets will follow as you complete your exams, so that you will always have training materials to work with.

Here is an overview of what you’ll learn and the order in which you’ll receive your learning materials:

Instruction Set 1

• Learning Strategies
  • The advantages of learning at home; types of study materials; types of examinations; accessing and using the features of our website; determining what kind of learner you are; establishing a study schedule; using study tips; preparing for and taking examinations.
• Getting Started as an Electrician
  • Electricity simplified; house circuits; electrical distribution.

Instruction Set 2

• Working Safely with Electricity
  • Classifications and categories; National Electrical Code® (NEC®); OSHA; shock; first aid.
• Electricians’ Tools
  • Electricians’ equipment; metric conversion; measuring instruments.
• Practical Exercise:
  • Electrical Fundamental
• Equipment:
  • Parts Kit for Electrical Fundamentals

Instruction Set 3

• Nature of Electricity
  • Simple circuit operation; conductors, insulators, and resistors; electrical symbols used in schematics.
• Electrical Equipment, Part 1
  • Boxes and fittings; pull boxes and splice boxes; conductor and conduit fittings.
• Electrical Equipment, Part 2
  • Devices and loads; switches, relays, thermostats, remote controls, control diagrams, fuses.
• Practical Exercise:
  • Installing Electrical Equipment
• Equipment:
  • Combination Wiring Tool
• Screwdriver Set
  • Parts Kit for Installing Electrical Equipment

Instruction Set 4

• Conductors
  • Properties and characteristics of conductors; installing and connecting wires and cables in residential circuits; sizing conductors.
• Working with Conduit
  • Installing conduit fittings and supports; tools used to bend conduit; determining conductor and conduit sizing.
• Math for the Trades
  • Basic math operations; English and metric measurement; using a protractor; using formulas to solve problems.
• Practical Exercise:
  • Conduit and Conductors
• Equipment:
  • Parts Kit for Conduit and Conductors

Instruction Set 5

• Wiring Electrical Components, Part 1
  • Cabling and boxes; three-phase circuits; mounting and wiring boxes.
• Wiring Electrical Components, Part 2
  • Devices and fixtures; lamp control; wiring lamp holders; major appliance and space heater wiring.
• Circuit Analysis and Ohm’s Law
  • Finding the total resistance in series, parallel, and series-parallel circuits; using Ohm’s Law; reading current, voltage, and resistance with a meter.
• Working with Multimeters
  • Performing tests for short circuits; performing resistance tests; measuring current and output voltage.
• Practical Exercise:
  • Working with Circuits
• Equipment:
  • Digital Multimeter
  • Parts Kit for Working with Circuits

Instruction Set 6

• Electric Lamps, Part 1
  • Incandescent lamps; light sources; light terminology; lamp construction.
• Electric Lamps, Part 2
  • Fluorescent and HID lamps; troubleshooting; ballasts and auxiliary components.
• Lighting Control
  • Switching circuits; remote control; dimming and flashing of lamps.
• Interior and Exterior Lighting Practices
  • Objectives of interior lighting; high-bay and low-bay industrial lighting; effects of glare; floodlighting; roadway lighting.
• Practical Exercise:
  • Electrical Lighting

Instruction Set 7

• Electric Heating
  • Use and measurement of heat; liquid, gas, and resistance thermometers; ultrasonic and solar heating.
• Controls for Air Conditioning
  • Controls for heating, cooling, ventilating, and humidifying; pressure, humidity, and air cleaning.
• Reading Electrical Schematic Diagrams
  • Electrical drawings; schematic symbols; distribution circuits and symbols.
• Practical Exercise:
  • Wiring HVAC Circuits

Instruction Set 8

• Electrical Blueprint Reading
  • Parts of blueprint, including conduit, cable list, and bill of material; symbols and abbreviations.
• Wiring Electrical Circuits
  • Feeder and branch circuits; wiring a residence; portable, fixed, and stationary appliances.
• Transformers
  • Connections of single-phase or polyphase transformers; autotransformers; maintenance.
• Practical Exercise:
  • Advanced Electrical Work

Instruction Set 9

• Canadian Electrical Code
  • Becoming familiar with the CEC; using the CEC to answer electrical questions and solve electrical problems.
• Textbook:
  • Canadian Electrical Code

Instruction Set 10

• DC Motor and Generator Theory
  • Commutation applications; operation; series; shunt and compound machines.
• Industrial Direct Current Motors
  • Principles of magnetism; various types of DC motors; components; troubleshooting.
• Industrial Alternating Current Motors
  • Components of a polyphase motor; troubleshooting; basic motor starter systems.
• Local Distribution of Electrical Power
  • Primary and secondary feeders; control and protection of circuits; distribution line construction.
• Underground Power Systems
  • Covers cables and conduit; conductors; insulation; underground residential distribution.
• Practical Exercise:
  • Working with Motors

Instruction Set 11

• Troubleshooting Electrical Systems
  • Common problems that occur in electrical systems; basic troubleshooting steps.
• The Business of Electrical Contracting
  • Employee management; organization; insurance; business costs; bidding; dealing with customers; and business growth.

Graduation Set

• Electrician’s Toolbox Manual
• Electrical Tester
• Insulated Screwdriver Set
• Pliers Set
• Electrician’s Knife
• BX Cutter
• Fish Tape

Note: The graduation shipment will be sent when all program requirements and obligations have been met.

Online Library and Librarian
Students in ICS Canada have access to an online library for use during their studies. Students can use this library to do the required research in the courses they complete or can use it for general reference and links to valuable resources. The library contains helpful research assistance, articles, databases, books, and Web links. A librarian is available to answer questions on general research-related topics via email and assist students in research activities during their studies with ICS Canada.

In order to further enhance your performance in this field, ICS has researched and recommended specific practical activities designed to complement your course work.

To ensure that you acquire the manual skills which are important in this program area, we encourage you to follow all of the course instructions.

National Electrical Code and NEC are trademarks of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) registered in the United States of America and/or other jurisdictions.

We reserve the right to change program content and materials when it becomes necessary.