Unique Electrical Training Program Prepares Today's Green Workers

BETHESDA, MD, January 19, 2009 -– An examination of America's largest and most

comprehensive training program for “green” electrical workers is among the highlights of the

latest edition of ElectricTV.net. A joint production of the National Electrical Contractors

Association (NECA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW),

ElectricTV.net is the only web TV program dedicated to reporting the latest developments in the

electrical construction and information systems industries.

As the United States pushes forward with developing such green energy sources as

wind and solar power to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels, the equally pressing need

arises for a workforce capable of building those alternative power systems. For more than a

quarter-century, NECA and IBEW, through their National Joint Apprenticeship and Training

Committee (NJATC), have been teaching vital green skills to apprentices and journeymen

through its nationwide network of start-of-the-art facilities and up-to-the-minute instructors.

Says Michael Callanan, executive director of NJATC, “Our training is unique because it

provides the opportunity not only to understand the theory behind the work, but how to apply

that knowledge every day, on the job.” En route to becoming a journey-level electrician, each

apprentice is required to undergo 1,000 hours of classroom instruction and 8,000 hours of onthe-

job training. The result is the manpower required to meet the nation's growing green

demands – and the assurance of productive, cost-effective installations.

Also on this edition of ElectricTV.net is a virtual worksite tour that helps building owners

be more proactive in identifying job hazards; a segment on how the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan,

is cutting their energy costs in half by turning to LED lighting; and a spotlight on the many

advantages a design/build electrical contractor brings to a construction project.

To view, visit http://electrictv.net/greenjobs.aspx.

ABOUT NECA AND IBEW

Through their joint marketing organization – the National Labor-Management Cooperation

Committee (NLMCC) of the organized electrical construction industry – NECA and IBEW

together work to:

• Reach customers with accurate information about the industry; and

• Achieve better internal communication between labor and management.

NECA has provided over a century of service to the $130 billion electrical construction

industry that brings power, light and communication technology to buildings and communities

across the United States. NECA's national office and 119 local chapters advance the industry

through advocacy, education, research and standards development.

With 725,000 members who work in a wide variety of fields – including construction,

utilities, telecommunications and manufacturing – IBEW is among the largest member unions in

the AFL-CIO. IBEW was founded in 1891.

For more information, visit www.thequalityconnection.org

Contact:

Mark Walston

Phone: 301-919-8755

[email protected]