This past week, Rosendin Electric partnered with the Hillsboro Chamber’s School to Career program to teach high school seniors from the Hillsboro and Beaverton school districts about the electrical industry.

On January 8^th and 9^th, the 18 students who attended the Early Learning Opportunity (ELO) were able to explore each department within Rosendin Electric at Rosendin’s Hillsboro office, including Project Management, Estimating, Building Information Modeling (BIM), IT/Technologies, Engineering, Pre-Fabrication, Business Development and more.

The day was not just about taking a tour through the facilities, but about receiving hands-on learning from those in the field. Each day started with a “Stretch & Flex” routine, an informal all-staff meeting that kick starts the day with a safety and health meeting as well as light stretching. The Stretch & Flex routine gave the students a glimpse into the electrician world and exposed them to the more active learning and working environment they have the option to receive.

“We know a lot of these students are going to want to, or are at least thinking of becoming an electrician,” said Courtney Hron, Business Development Manager at Rosendin Electric. “We’re going to provide them with the tools and resources to get them there, telling them ‘here’s the IBEW, here’s how you can join,’ and really just pointing them in the right direction, because a lot of it is already public knowledge.”

Programs that provide ELOs to students can help them make an informed decision before they decide whether to spend thousands of dollars at a university, studying classes for a major they might not even keep.

“I think for a lot of these students, money is a big driving factor,” Hron said. “Within a few years, some of these students could be making nearly 100 grand a year as an electrician.”

For high schools and parents, programs like School to Career help to bridge the gap between students and the career paths they may want to pursue.

“From 9^th through 11^th grade, students will go to some of the 100-120 different career days we host a year,” said Tabitha McCampbell a School to Career Coordinator. “By their senior year, they will have narrowed down what they want to do their 15-hour experience in, fill out a request form, and we place them in a group ELO that is related to what they are interested in.”

A group ELO will include a range of different activities, speakers, and field trips, all focused around a specific career area. According to McCampbell, School to Career was able to do the entire 15-hour program at Rosendin over two days because Rosendin was able to teach the students a wide variety of things, including being an electrician, engineering, building information modeling, and more.

“We rely a lot on our partnerships with companies and organizations to make this program work,” McCampbell said. “They volunteer their time and resources to help out the students.”

McCampbell said that they plan to continue their great partnership with Rosendin, including at least one annual group ELO at Rosendin.

While the electrical industry throughout the U.S. is brimming with opportunity, the field is facing a problem. In a study by the Conference Board, the electrical industry is struggling to fill its rosters. Skilled electrical workers are in high demand, but few people are answering the call, and the shortage is only expected to get worse.

In a 2017 nationwide survey by Klein Tools, that produces tools for electrical workers, it was reported that:

• 56 percent of electricians noticed more workers leaving the field over the past few years, an increase from the 44 percent in 2015.
• Almost two-thirds of electricians who have less than 20 years of experience have seen an increase in experienced electricians leaving the field, with a significant increase among those with 10-19 years of experience.
• Forty percent of electricians are concerned that there will not be enough qualified workers available over the next five to 10 years.

These findings suggest that the industry currently has fewer experienced electricians working on job sites and there are not enough new workers to fill the shortage. This could cause issues for commercial developers and general contractors who have deadlines to meet.

Read the article in full at Portland Business Journal.

(Portland, Ore.) The National Electrical Contractors Association and International Brotherhood of Electrical Worker’s Electrical Training Center (NIETC) conducted their first State Approved Pre-apprenticeship program as part of a grant-funded opportunity through the national Electrical Training Alliance. The funding is part of the overall American Apprenticeship Initiative from the U.S. Department of Labor.

The program is focused on providing career opportunities to underrepresented populations, which includes women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and veterans.

Pre-Apprentices in the program attended seven weeks of classroom and lab training, five days a week, for six hours a day. Upon completion of the classroom training, they worked as material handlers with a Training Agent for a minimum of two weeks for an on-the-job experience.

The program started on May 19 with 19 pre-apprentices enrolled, made up 10 women, some of who were minorities, 10 minorities, and three veterans. All 19 completed the program on July 25, with 18 moving on to transition into the apprenticeship. Eight have become Inside electrician apprentices and six have become Limited Residential Electrician apprentices, while the remaining four will become inside electrician apprentices upon successful completion of the applicant aptitude test.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better class,” said Bridget Quinn, the Workforce Development Coordinator at the Training Center. “The pre-apprentices were enthusiastic and diligent, despite the heavy course load and the fact that many were also working almost full-time jobs.”

“A diverse workforce and a diverse leadership team is key to the success of the IBEW.” – Keith Edwards, Former Business Manager of Local 48 (and first ever African American IBEW Business Manager). Check out IBEW Hour Power’s video “Committed to Diversity.”