Apprentices Make the Grade
Best of Both Worlds
Go to college or get a good job? For military service men and women this is the choice they face
as they transition from active duty to civilian life. Many locals of the International Brotherhood
of Electrical Workers (IBEW) are making sure you can have both. Five year apprenticeship programs
in Local 5, Pittsburgh; Local 481, Indianapolis; and Local 246, Steubenville, Ohio are turning out
workers who have their Associates Degrees, classroom training, and electrical work experience from
the job site. These locals are just a few in the IBEW who are pursuing an expanded apprenticeship
model to meet the needs of the 21st century electrical worker.
The program at Local 481 in Indianapolis is celebrating 15 years of partnership with the Ivy
Tech Community College. Like most of the programs, it is the affiliation with an accredited
community college or university that allows apprentices to receive college credits. The
Indianapolis program includes classes in math, science, History of Organized Labor, and
technological writing. Jim Patterson, Training Director, says about the apprentices, "From day one
they have a job, and they attend school every other week. It's been fantastic for the graduates of
the program."
While some locals have their apprentices pay an administration fee, the Indianapolis
training center does not. Money for this extra schooling comes from the Joint Apprenticeship and
Training Committee. The JATC is comprised of three IBEW appointed trustees and three National
Electrical Contractors Association(NECA) appointed trustees. The amount paid to the training
fund is determined during collective bargaining between the IBEW and NECA. The fund is used not
only for apprentices but also provides journeyworkers and foremen with further training. Those
apprentices who graduated before the program was instituted are welcome to come back and complete
their Associates Degree.
This past Labor Day marked the eighth year of the Associates Degree requirement at Local 5
in Pittsburgh. Robert Geider, the Local 5 Training Director, is proud of their anniversary. "This
has proven to many that the people who build America are sound in technology and academics as
well." He points out that the program has given the IBEW local a visible spot in the academic
community. "We've proven to skeptics that our people are a cut above." Mr. Geider is ready with
guidelines and templates to assist other locals interested in starting similar programs.
The five-year apprentice requirement is a great recruiting tool at Job Fairs, where
prospective apprentices are impressed by the numbers: after five years apprentices accrue 1000
hours in the classroom and 8000 hours in the field. They have a secure job, and an associates
degree with no loans. As Jim Patterson tells them you, "earn while you learn." This philosophy is a
big winner with parents who are pleased their children will go to college without the burden of
student loans and have a quality job with health and retirement benefits when they complete the
program.
Training Director Tony Shreve of Local 246 just saw the first class of graduates this year.
Many have spouses or children but were willing to make some sacrifices to complete the rigors of
the program. "They have to be pretty committed," notes Mr. Shreve. Apprentices spend Saturdays in
classes over a nine week period. The apprentices in Local 246 end up with an Associates Degree in
Electrical Construction Trades through Jefferson Community College. Their degree is half of the
Electrical Engineering degree and some do choose to continue towards their bachelors.
Customers see the benefits of college educated workers too. Workers are better prepared to
write technical reports. They have a larger skill set that includes critical thinking and
communications skills in addition to technological know-how. Tony Shreve sees a time in the not so
distant future when the IBEW will meet these needs. "Somewhere down the road we'll be able to tell
all our customers that all our members have a college degree. If you want to lead, you have to be
in front."
