Apprentice Winder
Learn to repair, test, and replace rotating and stationary mechanical equipment
As a Winder with BC Hydro, you test, rewind, rebuild, and replace electric motors, generators, alternators, transformers, control equipment and mobile machines. You play a key role in the utility industry, ensuring that critical electric machinery is maintained, producing and bringing electricity to our homes and industries.
What you learn and experience
- How to recondition and repair rotating equipment
- How to check and repair stationary equipment
- How to test systems and equipment
- How to repair and replace defective mechanical, electrical and electronic part(s)/components
- How to handle large, bulky and often heavy materials or equipment
- How to handle oiling of large utility reactive equipment
- Work both inside and outdoors during apprenticeship – in all weather conditions in various locations around the province
- Complete significant travel around the province (minimum of 60% of working hours)
- How to help keep reliable power available for British Columbians, and the satisfaction that brings
Qualifications: What you bring
- You enjoy doing hands-on, physical work outdoors and have the fitness and upper body strength to do this.
- You possess a desire to travel around the province (minimum of 60% of working hours)
- You're a high school graduate with English 12, Physics 11 and Math 11 or Workplace Math 11 or the equivalent.
- You hold a valid Class 5 driver's licence
- You have normal colour vision
- You have strong interpersonal skills and are able to deal with both internal and external customers.
- You have a mechanical aptitude, and familiarity with computers, industrial tools, and equipment, would be an asset.
Equivalence documentation and transcripts
To successfully claim an equivalent status, you must provide documentation that effectively demonstrates you've taken equivalent courses. You'll submit either a letter from your place of education or your instructor indicating the course(s), stating that the course(s) taken would be considered equivalent to or better than a grade 11 or 12 level.
Once selected as an apprentice, you need to provide a copy of transcripts demonstrating your high school graduation including Math 11, English 12 and Physics 11 as well as a driver's abstract and claims history.
Program details and future job prospects
As a successful apprentice applicant, your career in the electricity trade begins with 48 months of on the job training and 8 weeks per year of in school technical training. Once you graduate, you can apply for winder jobs anywhere in the BC Hydro system.
Where you train and work
During your apprenticeship, you're assigned to a regular headquarters in Surrey in the Lower Mainland and temporary headquarters throughout the province as the jobs require.
Pay and benefits
As an apprentice, you earn 75% of the full journeyperson trade rate while you learn, with further increases during the apprenticeship.
You learn and work in a healthy and safe environment supported by a competitive benefit package that includes vacation (minimum of 3 weeks), overtime pay, designated day offs with pay, disability income, health and vision care, and dental benefits.
Application timelines
Job postings are typically found on our current opportunities page. Click here to see application timeline information. If no information is available yet, you can set up a job alert so that you will be notified as soon as the posting goes up.
Due to the very high number of applications recruiters receive, only those who are shortlisted will receive a phone call.