Inside a modest building on Kings Run Drive on the west side, groups of young men and women prepare for a lifetime career as electricians. Some of these electrical apprentices are even younger-high school juniors and seniors from Great Oaks.

The Great Oaks students are part of the Youth Apprenticeship Program through the Independent Electrical Contractors of Greater Cincinnati (IEC). As they enter the Commercial/Residential Electricity program at one of the Great Oaks campuses, they can qualify to become apprentices for the IEC as long as they have good grades and regular attendance.

It’s a program that pays off for the student, said Greg Hyland of Cooper Electric.