Apprentice Power Cable Technician Full Time NEW

Source: BC Hydro
Job Title: Apprentice Power Cable Technician
Job Location: Horne Payne, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Hourly Salary: $ 42.39
Number of positions: 4
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Providing clean electricity to 4 million customers takes a diverse workforce and that’s where you come in. We need your talent to help us build major projects to meet growing demand. To help our customers find clean energy solutions for their homes and businesses and to be ready to respond during storms and outages to keep our system reliable.

Working for BC Hydro is meaningful. And now, the stakes have been raised as we work towards a solution to climate change while safely providing clean, affordable electricity to our customers.

We offer a healthy work life balance, training opportunities and career progression. We’re proud to be ranked as one of B.C.’s Top Employers and one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers. Join us as we build an even cleaner B.C.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Duties:

The successful candidate will learn:
• How to splice, test and repair all kinds of lead and metallic covered cable – from underground to overland cables.
• How to climb power poles and use proper safety procedures, how to use tools and materials, and how to operate a bucket truck in preparation for more complex technical skill development and assignments.
• The practical and technical aspects of working on underground residential distribution (URD) cables first before learning to work on paper insulated lead covered (PILC) cables.
• How to work safely outside, in all types of weather conditions, at heights ranging from 30 to 40 feet and working
underground in manholes, etc., to doing submarine cable work.
• How to handle large, bulky and often heavy materials or equipment.
• How to restore power to customers at any time of the day or night, and the satisfaction that brings.

Qualifications:

As per IBEW Collective Agreement
• High school graduation with the following courses: English 12, Math 11 and Physics 11 (or equivalents).
• Class 5 driver’s license, and ability to obtain Class 3 driver’s license with air brake endorsement within six months of start date.
• Must be physically able to perform the duties of the trade, have a mechanical aptitude and normal colour vision.
• Must be able to work at heights and in confined spaces.
• Successful completion of related post secondary courses in Electrical or Electronic theory will be considered an asset.
* Applicants must meet the above requirements at the time of applying (by the job posting’s close date) to be eligible to be considered.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

– A comprehensive benefits package
– A minimum of 15 paid vacation days
– A lifetime pension
– Flexible work model, depending on your role type
– Training and development courses
For more information on the benefits we offer, visit bchydro.com/benefits.

Please be advised that this role has been assessed as safety sensitive and pre-qualification alcohol and drug testing will be required as a pre-condition to employment.

What else you should know
This position is affiliated with the international Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union (IBEW local 258) www.ibew258.bc.ca

THE QUALIFICATIONS AND DEMANDS
The Trade will interest those who enjoy working outdoors performing hands on physical work. It is important to not have any concerns about working in a confined space (e.g. manhole entry) or at heights from a pole. Normal colour vision is required as well as strong interpersonal skills to deal with both internal and external customers. Mechanical aptitude is required as well as attention to detail for intricate work; familiarity with industrial tools/equipment would be helpful. A Class 3 driver’s license with air brake endorsement will be required (or ability to obtain within six months of commencing this apprenticeship).

THE PROGRAM
48 months of on the job and classroom training (six to eight weeks per year) plus a series of self-study, competency based training modules.

THE FUTURE
When you graduate, you can apply for Power Cable Technician jobs in transmission or distribution. In transmission, you’d be working on high voltage cables and doing submarine cable work. More travel is involved in these jobs. Additional trades skills enhancement training is also required for work in transmission. In distribution, you’d work primarily on underground cables although some submarine cable work may be involved.

THE LOCATION
Apprentices are based primarily in the Lower Mainland and are temporarily assigned in other locations to broaden their experience. Graduated apprentices usually obtain jobs in the Lower Mainland where the majority of Power Cable Technicians are located, but may also be located in Victoria.

THE BENEFITS
Besides having an exciting, varied and challenging career, you’re paid while you learn and have an excellent benefit package. Apprentices earn 75% of the full trade rate with further increases during the apprenticeship. The starting Apprentice rate is $42.39 and the Journeyperson rate is $56.52.

In order for your application to be considered, please ensure that you update your Candidate Profile and provide the following documents with your application:
• Comprehensive resume and cover letter.
• Proof of educational pre-requisite completion: Copy of high school transcript indicating high school graduation and completion of English 12, Math 11, and Physics 11 (or equivalents). Where equivalent status is claimed at the high school or post-secondary level, acceptable documentation must be provided by the applicant that will show equivalency of courses taken. Either a letter from your place of education or your instructor indicating the course(s) and stating that the course(s) taken would be considered equivalent to or better than the requirement.
• A current copy of your Driver’s Abstract confirming Class 5 Driver’s License (or higher), which can be obtained from a motor vehicle branch or government agency depending on the province you reside in. NOTE: the correct document from ICBC is titled “Personal Driving History”.
• Please note, applicants may be required to provide a copy of their ICBC Claims History as part of the pre-employment process.
• Successful applicants will attend several weeks of orientation and initial training at our Trades Training Centre in Surrey, and will then report to our Horne Payne Office in Burnaby.
* To ensure we have all of the necessary information to assess your application without any delays, the required documents must be received no later than MIDNIGHT, TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2026.
* Please ensure if you have applied in previous years that all outdated documents are deleted from your candidate profile.
• Location : Burnaby, British Columbia, V5C 3Y3

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit their applications online at https://app.bchydro.com/careers/current_opp.html by March 10, 2026.

Click here to access the job posting or visit the BC Hydro “Current Opportunities” Careers page to view and apply for jobs.

You must use a supported browser, such as Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome or Safari. Your pop up blocker will also need to be disabled for the BC Hydro Careers site.

On the BC Hydro Careers site, click on the Apply button in order to complete the steps to apply for this job. Please be sure to update your Candidate Profile with your current resume and include copies of your certifications, if applicable.
We’re always looking for exceptional people to bring new ideas, fresh thinking and the motivation to help shape the electricity system in B.C. It’s an exciting time to be a part of our team as we invest in our system and prepare to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Our values guide our work. Want to join us?

We are safe.
We are here for our customers.
We are one team.
We include everyone.
We act with integrity and respect.
We are forward thinking.

BC Hydro is an equal opportunity employer.

We include everyone. We welcome applications from anyone, including members of visible minorities, women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, and others with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities.

We are also happy to provide reasonable accommodations throughout the selection process and while working at BC Hydro. If you require support applying online because you are a person with a disability, please contact us at [email protected]

Flexible work model role definitions
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Our four role types identify the degree of flexibility an employee could have to work from home based on the type of work they do. The flexibility for an individual job is up to the manager for each position and the operational requirements. Employees also have the right to work full-time from the office if they prefer. All of our roles require at least some in-person time.

IBEW/Field – No option to work from home
Resident – Works primarily (4+ days per week) in the office.
Hybrid – May be able to work from home up to 3 days per week.
Remote – Works from home 4+ days per week