As anyone knows who has gone through the IBEW Apprenticeship Program…it’s no joke. It is years of classroom work, hands on learning, time in the field and on the job, and in the end you must take the ultimate test to prove yourself and what you have learned along the way.
IBEW Local 428 out of Bakersfield, CA knows that the IBEW Apprenticeship Program is no walk in the park and that’s why they offer a pre-apprenticeship program to introduce newcomers to the benefits and the difficulties of the apprenticeship program.
The excellent instructors of IBEW Local 428 and the tried and true curriculum turn out incredibly skillful electricians each year – skillful electricians who have graduated with a career rather than a job.
Have you or someone you know considered a career in the electrical industry? See if there is a Local near you that is looking for new members.
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Kern County Apprenticeship Program
Hi, and welcome to another edition of IBEW Hour Power News Briefs, I’m Erica McClaugherty. The goal of every NJATC is to train men and women for demanding and rewarding careers in the electrical industries. Today we highlight local 428’s training facility in Bakersfield, California as one of those shining examples.
Greg Rogers: Training Director, Kern County Electrical Apprenticeship
“So our JATC is all about our staff. I have some of the most dedicated people and instructors that you could ever want. We do a lot of motor control labs and they have been able to simplify the process so the apprentices can understand it. We focus a lot on hands on like motor controls, plc, and instrumentation… the more marketable skills. The renewable side we even incorporate electrical theory and when you are doing solar panels you hook them up in parallel so we make sure the trainees/apprentices know what’s going on in the solar field.”
Local 428’s training center also has a pre-apprenticeship program to ensure students are well equipped to handle what lies ahead.
Greg Rogers: Training Director, Kern County Electrical Apprenticeship
“The pre-apprenticeship what we do is help them understand what it would be like to be an apprentice. We focus on the soft skills and focus on the hands on and we do a lot of math work and stuff like that but really for us we want them to understand the commitment that is required if they get into the program.”
Greg Rogers: Training Director, Kern County Electrical Apprenticeship
“One of the best parts of my job is watching an apprentice come in and they are living with their parents and by the 3rd year they are buying a car and by the 5th year they are getting married, buying a house having a kid. It’s really nice to see that we offer them a sustainable career and they are appreciative of what we are giving them. Not just a temporary job, a career.”
And as for business, Greg says it’s the great partnership between the training center and the local NECA contractors that will continue to help get work and supply qualified electricians.
Greg Rogers: Training Director, Kern County Electrical Apprenticeship
“I just see our future being brighter for all of us and we are going to be able to train more people and make the industry in Kern County thrive.”
As always, the IBEW and the local NECA Chapter come together to produce nationally recognized education.
Well that’s it for this edition of IBEW Hour Power News Briefs, be sure to follow us on social media. Until next time, I’m Erica McClaugherty.
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