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Program Offers Overview of Skilled Electrical Trade and History of Labor Day
 
PARAMUS, N.J., Sept. 2, 2009 – Thirty-two local residents have been indoctrinated in a back-to-school orientation ritual known as “Electrical Trade Boot Camp,” a one-day program hosted by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 164 at its Training Academy in Paramus, N.J. Designed to provide new students with a basic understanding of the electrical trade, the program features equipment, tools and wiring that serves as the foundation for a lifelong career as an electrician.
 
The boot camp is held prior to the start of each new semester and includes an overview of the birth of organized labor as well as the contributions of skilled laborers throughout our nation’s history. Each semester includes 23 classes, totaling 184 hours. The main objective of the boot camp is to prepare the new apprentices to successfully complete the five-year apprenticeship. Safety is a main topic, as well as tool and material recognition.
 
“Local 164 welcomes a new class of men and women to its five-year electrical apprenticeship training program who have demonstrated the potential and strong desire to successfully complete this rigorous course of study,” said John DeBouter, training director. “Despite the current economic downturn, these next-generation electricians will graduate at a time when demand for this specially trained trade is expected to reflect a revived economy and construction industry. These individuals are the future of the electrical trade,” he added.
 
Local 164’s intensive curriculum is administered by the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee involving representatives from Local 164 as well as the Northern New Jersey Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). To graduate from the electrical apprentice program, students must complete a total of 184 hours of classroom training each year and a total of 8,720 hours of on-the-job training, under the supervision of a qualified journeyperson associated with one of Local 164’s signatory contractors.
The program addresses interpreting blueprints; safely working with high voltages; and installing, repairing and servicing complex electrical equipment and controls for residential, commercial and industrial projects. Local 164 also offers a six-year training program that focuses exclusively on residential wiring.
 
“Local 164 boasts an impressive graduation rate among its electrical apprentices that exceeds 85 percent. This is particularly noteworthy when compared to the New Jersey college graduation rate, which is 61 percent,” noted Daniel-John Solleder, a Local 164 training instructor. “Electrical work is extremely academic and physical – and very dangerous because of the risks associated with live, high-voltages. Undergoing the proper training is imperative for the sake of the individual as well as others on a jobsite and the safety and well-being of the end-users.”
 
Among these continuing education classes is a 24-hour hands-on photovoltaic (PV), or solar, training series held in a specially designed laboratory established three years ago in partnership with Sharp Solar Systems. The technology-based course of study addresses the fundamentals of solar power generation, as well as issues and concerns for the proper and safe installation of the PV system. To date, more than 300 members have successfully completed the curriculum.
 
Local 164 includes electricians active in Bergen, Hudson and Essex counties and telecommunications workers contracted throughout the state for residential, commercial and industrial projects. A leader in worksite safety, the local launched the first Drug-Free Workforce Program in New Jersey. As one of the first in the New York metro area, the mandatory, random substance-abuse prevention program was implemented in 2008 to enhance the level of safety on construction jobsites throughout New Jersey. The ground-breaking initiative benefits workers, contractors, developers and end-users alike.
 
To be eligible for the electrical and telecommunications apprenticeship programs, applicants must be at least 17 years old; possess a high school diploma; have a passing grade in algebra and a valid driver’s license. Potential enrollees must present a diploma/GED certificate, birth certificate and high school transcript at the time of application.
 
IBEW Local 164 hosts open enrollment for its Electrical and Telecommunications Apprenticeship Training Programs on the first and third Fridays of each month at 9 a.m. or 11 a.m. at the Local 164 Training Academy, located at 65 W. Century Road in Paramus.