Electricians Continue Working Toward a Brighter Future
Sitting down with John Cyr, Continuing Education Coordinator for the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC), you can instantly tell why green building practices are so important to the future of the construction industry. Simply put, people care about the bottom line, and implementing new cost-effective ways of using renewable energy — including photovoltaic arrays (PA) — is the future of our ever-changing industry.
Earlier this year, We Energies provided the JATC with a $75,000 grant to build several photovoltaic arrays outside of the JATC training facility. The goal was to encourage members and participating contractors to better understand the need for and use of this type of electrical generation.
"We couldn't have done this without We Energies," said Cyr. "However, the time, effort and supplies that our contractors and members donated to this initiative were instrumental in meeting the success of our PV training lab."
Cyr was not surprised with the number of contractors that donated time and materials to maximize the grant dollars. Companies like Grunau Corporation, Eaton Corporation, NES Equipment Rental, Solar World and United Equipment Rental all supplied JATC with materials, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 494 members and contractors donated their time to help construct the arrays.
So far, 50 individuals have completed the photovoltaic advanced course, and they also contributed their time and labor to the installation. Martin Schultz, the primary instructor overseeing the project and the ongoing training, feels the entire initiative from proposal to completion has helped position the electricians to better compete for upcoming work.
"As a very proactive trade, we believe in continually upgrading our skills to match the needs of our contractors," said Schultz. "In order for our employers to win work, we have made it our goal to evolve our trade and make our trades people highly skilled and up to date on all facets of our industry." A major component of any training initiative is the support of contractors, and Dave Washebek, President of Lemberg Electric and a NABCEP Certified Solar Electric Installer, backed the PV install from the beginning. The importance of keeping members' skills and knowledge positioned for the future is something Washebek feels positively impacts his employees and company.
"It was a no-brainer to have our employees participate in the install and also have four journeymen participate in the advanced training," stated Washebek. "We find a huge value in continued education, and we focus a lot of our efforts on where the future of our industry will go. I'm very proud of our company's involvement, and am grateful to the JATC, We Energies and the other volunteers for their commitment."
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