The new year is always a good time to think about the future. In 2020, many of us were strictly focused on keeping our businesses afloat, trying to maintain a stable workforce and following mandated guidelines to prevent the...
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...
When the novel coronavirus struck the United States in March, the Carolinas Electrical Training Institute (CETI), Charlotte, N.C., and the Electrical Training Alliance of Jacksonville (ETAJ), Jacksonville, Fla., were...
The year 2020 has been challenging and more unusual than any other we have experienced and is one that will certainly stay with us for a long time. We’ve seen a worldwide pandemic affecting each one of us as well as the...
In the electrical contracting industry, safety is a core value that requires top-down commitment from leadership in order to be internalized by all employees. Here, executives from electrical contracting firms nationwide...
I often tell the young people I mentor to always remember that they have two ears and one mouth, just to simply remind them to listen twice as often as they speak. This is advice I have received from multiple mentors...
This year’s NECA convention is going to be a little different than usual. Come October, you can sit in your home office or on your couch, a snack or cup of coffee in hand, open your computer screen and navigate to NECA 2020...
Social distancing, self-quarantining, travel restrictions. It’s no secret, COVID-19 has upended business as usual. Is 2020 over yet? Before I go further, I truly hope this column finds you and your family safe and well during...
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration outreach programs help employers to achieve a safer workplace; examples include the OSHA Alliance Program, OSHA Strategic Partnership Program, Voluntary Protection Programs...
Pre-apprenticeship programs help bring greater gender parity to the trades When it comes to women’s participation in electrical construction, the numbers are bad. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2018, just 2.4...
Solar installations are heating up in Illinois due to robust state incentives that reimburse homeowners and businesses for costs. Unfortunately, hazards for fire fighters are also on the rise. Addressing this circumstance is...
Many years ago, at my college graduation, I heard another student say, “Finally, I will never have to open another book in my life!” Education does not stop when you leave high school or college. I am sure that person has...
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...
Whatever you did growing up in the trade, first as a helper and then as a journeyman, hopefully taught you the proper way to perform your work. You know profits grow the company. Generally whatever work you do the most will...
Amanda King is a motivational speaker and leadership coach who has delivered her message at many conferences and events, including NECA 2019 Las Vegas. King says, “Leadership is about influence. How are you showing up in life...
Kelly McDonald is a marketing and advertising specialist who speaks about diversity in the workforce. On differences in the workplace, she says, “We are all working with diverse team members, as well as customers and...
David Meade is a motivational and organizational speaker who specializes in body language, business psychology and leadership. Drawing on his own research on management, workplace culture and leadership, Meade speaks to...
Last week, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the details of its Sixth Annual National Fall Prevention Safety Stand-Down. The event, scheduled for the week of May 6–10, is designed to focus...
Lately, I have spoken to many people about how hard it is to find and keep estimators. Some have asked me about making estimators out of inexperienced people. Can a person from outside the electrical construction trade be...
Robotics is on the rise, and the world of robotic automation continues to grow. While automation is indeed replacing certain jobs, robotics brings with it a whole host of new vacancies in the industry. The National Robotics...
