IBEW Local 743 will use funding to train apprentices who want to pursue a career in the electrical field. | Антон Дмитриев/Unsplash
IBEW Local 743 will use funding to train apprentices who want to pursue a career in the electrical field. | Антон Дмитриев/Unsplash
Gov. Tom Wolf (D-PA) revealed earlier this month that $287,895 in funds will go to a Pennsylvania electricians' union.
IBEW Local 743 will use the funding to train apprentices who want to pursue a career in the electrical field, according to a news release from the governor's office.
"It's vitally important to recruit and train the next generation of workers in the electrical industry," Wolf said in the news release. "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."
The funds are part of the Wolf administration's efforts to help the state's workforce through training, the news release noted. The money comes through the state's Pre-Apprentice and Apprenticeship Grant Program. At least 30 apprentices from Berks, Chester, Lancaster, Montgomery, and Schuylkill counties will participate. Training will be a cooperative between IBEW Local 743 members and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) Penn-Del-Jersey Chapter.
The apprenticeship program lasts for five years, according to the news release. After its completion, the apprentices will be Qualified Electrical Workers. The program includes 1,000 hours of classroom instruction and 8,000 hours of training on the job.
IBEW Local 743 is based in Reading and was chartered in 1918, the news release noted. It represents electricians, communication workers, installers, technicians, and public works employees.
"The electrical industry has created a significant demand for Qualified Electrical Workers in our five-county area, and with the support of the DCED [Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development], our apprenticeship program will expand enrollment," Ed Bernitsky, training director of IBEW Local 743, said in the news release. "In an ever-changing industry, we can provide the most state-of-the-art training while our apprentices earn a fair wage and benefits."
Nearly 90 pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs were supported during Wolf's time in office, according to the news release. More than $13.5 million was invested in the DCED Pre-Apprentice and Apprenticeship Grant Program. The apprenticeship program helps employers recruit and develop talent.
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