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Erie licensing board presses applicant for proof of hours and education, approves another to test for master electrician
Summary
At a City of Erie licensing meeting, applicant Jonathan McLeod was told to submit W-2s and masters' sign-offs after board members flagged gaps in supervised hours and whether his EIT schooling meets state-approved apprenticeship standards; the board separately voted to allow Lehi Balabanov to take the master electrician test.
The Erie Electrical Licensing Board reviewed an application from Jonathan McLeod and asked him to provide additional documentation to verify on-the-job hours and supervision before the board will act on his request to sit for the journeyman electrician exam. The board also unanimously approved one master-electrician applicant to take a licensing test.
McLeod told the board, “I submitted my application to take my journeyman electrician's test with the city of Erie. I was denied,” and described having four city apprenticeship cards and a 15-month trade program at EIT. Board members said the application packet raised two issues: whether enough of McLeod’s hours were performed under a licensed master and whether the classroom program he completed qualifies as a state-recognized apprenticeship for the ordinance’s education requirement.
The board’s discussion focused on two statutory requirements noted in the licensing ordinance: supervised, on-the-job hours under a licensed master and classroom education comparable to a state-approved apprenticeship program. A board member summarized the board’s reading as: “EIT is not a recognized apprentice program,” and told McLeod the city uses state-approved apprenticeship programs (or four years of supervised experience under a licensed master) as the benchmark for journeyman eligibility.
Why it matters: the board said changes to the local ordinance and the city’s reliance on state-approved apprenticeship standards mean some recent trade-school programs do not automatically qualify an applicant to test. Board members said the current ordinance (citing provisions such as Section 15 o 2.63 as discussed at the meeting) requires either completion of an approved apprenticeship or documented work under a licensed master contractor with the city.
During the meeting board members and staff asked McLeod to provide additional proof of work and supervision, specifically W-2 forms and masters’ sign-offs for the periods in question. Board staff told McLeod they would consult the city solicitor about possible grandfathering language for applicants who completed training before the ordinance change and would take the item up again after receiving the documentation and legal guidance. The board instructed McLeod to submit the requested masters’ verification and W-2s and indicated the item would be revisited at the next meeting.
Board members repeatedly described this as an unusual, case-by-case situation tied to administrative recordkeeping and changes in the ordinance. Several members noted the city’s apprenticeship card system does not equate to state-approved apprenticeship coursework and recommended applicants seeking journeyman status either join a state-approved apprenticeship program (examples cited during the meeting included ABC/IEC/IBEW-type apprenticeships) or provide clear proof of supervised hours and hours totals.
Votes at a glance: The board voted to approve applicant Lehi Balabanov to take the master electrician test. The motion was made by Mike Ziwi and seconded by Doug Armstrong; members present voted “aye” with no recorded opposition or abstentions.
What happens next: Staff will ask the solicitor whether the board can apply any grandfathering for education completed before the ordinance change and will re-open McLeod’s application after he submits W-2s and masters’ sign-offs documenting hours and supervision for the periods in question. No final decision on McLeod’s eligibility to test was made at the meeting.
Context and background: Meeting discussion referenced a 2022 ordinance change the board said tightened the education requirement to align with state-approved apprentice programs (minimum classroom and on-the-job hours were discussed by members as the state benchmark). Board members described local trade-school certificates as sometimes not equivalent to Bureau of Apprenticeship–approved programs and said the board’s role is to verify whether an applicant meets the education and supervised-hours criteria in the local ordinance.
