More than 80 people began their careers as apprentice electricians with the East Midlands Electricity Board (EMEB) in September of 1971. 2021 marks 50 years since the 1971 class of apprentices—who would now be in their mid...
Tools of the trade—whatever the craft, every tradesperson must have them. The tools must be right for the work at hand: quality tools that perform well and are easy to use, ergonomic, friendly and durable. Participants in the...
On March 11, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published a final rule establishing a system for developing Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAP) in all sectors except construction. The DOL says the programs must...
Limited On-the-Job Training Leaves Apprenticeship Programs to Pick Up Slack Electrical construction is becoming safer overall, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics; however, dangerous...
A new study, “The Apprenticeship Alternative,” jointly researched and published by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana finds that those who graduate from registered joint...
It’s the same refrain across the country: open apprenticeship slots are just waiting to be filled. In Chicago, contractors are teaming up with developers, unions and the United Way to do something about it. Dubbed as the...
On Nov. 7, Donald Norcross and Andy Kim, two U.S. Democratic Congressmen from New Jersey, announced the Bringing Registered Apprenticeships to Veterans Education (BRAVE) Act, which if enacted, would ensure that all...
A new proposed U.S. Department of Labor regulation related to apprenticeship programs has found proponents and opponents in various segments of the construction industry. A provision in the proposed rule would initially...
A business plan is hopefully the first draft of a success story. Purportedly, somewhere in the recipe for success there is a secret ingredient or two. In the business plan for Mid-Michigan Electrical, LLC, the first “special...
Update 5/23/19: A provision based on Norcross and Kelly's Bill to allow 529 tax-free savings plans to be used for apprenticeships was passed through the House with a 417-3 vote as part of H.R. 1994, the Secure Act, a...
On the first day of the 2018 NECA Trade Show and Convention, approximately 2,500 apprentices arrived by bus to fill an entire exhibition hall in the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The 2018 Apprentice Appreciation Day was a...
There are several reasons for today’s well-publicized labor shortages, according to Kevin Tighe, executive director, labor relations & workforce development, at the National Electrical Contractors Association. First...
Supporting electrical contractors who perform quality work across the United States is a critical role NECA plays. It’s what we’re all about. Building blocks like recruitment and training early in the process matter...
It hasn’t been the easiest few years for the electrical construction industry, and its recovery from the economic downturn has been comparatively slow given the productivity gains of other industry sectors in the United...
I devote many of these columns to praising the National Electrical Contractors -Association because, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, NECA has much to be immodest about. This magazine reaches more than 85,000 readers every...
