New opportunities are being funded for electrical apprenticeships in Pennsylvania. | governor.pa.gov
New opportunities are being funded for electrical apprenticeships in Pennsylvania. | governor.pa.gov
The Wolf Administration has made it a priority to help the state’s workforce through apprenticeships and recently announced almost $300,000 in grant money to further the cause.
Specifically, apprentices in the electrical field will find opportunities enhanced with the $287,900 directed at International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 743 training programs, Governor Tom Wolf said in early October.
According to a release by the governor, the funds are distributed through the Pennsylvania Pre-Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship Grant Program. This will involve 30 to 36 apprentices from the counties of Berks, Chester, Lancaster, Montgomery and Schuylkill for training by IBEW Local 743 members as well as the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) Penn-Del-Jersey Chapter.
“It’s vitally important to recruit and train the next generation of workers in the electrical industry,” Gov. Wolf said. “Apprenticeship programs like this one give trainees both the classroom work and the on-the-job experience to ensure there will be a continuous pipeline of talent to bolster the industry.”
Apprentices will become “Qualified Electrical Workers” in a five-year program with 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and another 1,000 hours in the classroom.
According to the release, there have been 86 pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs supported under Gov. Wolf, as well as $13.5 million invested through the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Pre-Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship Grant Program. This is a program that is designed to help employers in Pennsylvania with talent recruiting and development.
“The electrical industry has created a significant demand for Qualified Electrical Workers in our five-county area, and with the support of the DCED, our Apprenticeship Program will expand enrollment,” IBEW 743 Training Director Ed Bernitsky said. “In an ever-changing industry, we can provide the most state-of-the-art training while our apprentices earn a fair wage and benefits.”
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