Charge up your career: by partnering with the local school district and its Minority Teacher Incentive Program, a union chapter is increasing awareness for all students of career opportunities as electricians.

As one of approximately 120 chapters throughout the country, the Quad Cities Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) has been representing the management interests of electrical contractors in western Illinois and eastern Iowa since 1930. During that time, education and training have always been a top priority. And while union apprentices start their training at some point after receiving their high school diploma or GED, it is never too early to educate people about future careers as electricians. A program begun in 2004 and continuing this year is doing just that.

Quad Cities NECA believes that the electrical contracting field offers great opportunities for all students, and that is why the organization, working with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), has partnered with the Minority Teacher Incentive Program (MTIP) of the Rock Island-Milan Public Schools to share career information with Quad City elementary, junior high and high school classes.

Nearly 7,000 students attend the Rock Island-Milan District's schools, where community partnerships are fostered through programs such as the Adopt-A-School program. In this program, a school is paired with an organization to help "in whatever capacity is appropriate for that school."

The district's MTIP has a goal of bringing more minorities into the teaching force, but it also works toward other goals, such as encouraging minority students to think about college, job training and careers.

In addition to ensuring that the community has a skilled workforce to provide quality electrical work, Quad Cities NECA believes that informing young people about potential careers also benefits the community, so that is a goal that aligns well with the goals of MTIP.

Teaching people skills that will keep them employed for a lifetime will help reduce unemployment rates in years to come, so at the Quad City Electrical Training Center, we work to ensure that NECA-IBEW electricians in the Quad City area are highly trained professionals. Our apprenticeships can lead to promising, well-paid careers for people who like to work with their hands, plus, our graduates receive 55 college credits from the American Council on Education, which they can apply to an associate's degree in applied science.

It takes more than just technical skills to be a good electrician. Strong math skills in particular can help potential electricians to succeed, so we look for individuals, men and women alike, who have passed algebra--and it is an added plus if they have also taken geometry. Applicants who took shop courses improve their chances of being accepted into the program.

The selection process is highly competitive. Each year, the apprenticeship program receives more than 300 applicants, but only about 10 percent are chosen.

A Lifetime Career

Last year, when I was asked to provide a speaker for MTIP, I called on Ornar Hunigan, who has been a journeyman electrician for three years and currently works for Tri-City Electric. Omar's father, Howard, used to be assistant superintendent of Davenport Schools, so education has always been a part of his family.

Hunigan enjoyed interacting with students so much in 2004 that he agreed to do it again in 2005. Although his audience the previous year was high school students, at the April 2005 MTIP Career Day, Hunigan made his presentation to fifth- and sixth-graders, discussing his career, answering their questions and showing them the tools of his trade.

Always ah excellent student at science and math in his early years, Hunigan enjoyed tinkering with radios to see how they worked. Later, he studied international business and industrial engineering at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, but in the end, his love of working with his hands led him to a challenging, rewarding career as an electrician.

According to Hunigan, the question students ask most often is, "'How much do you make?"

He says, "I tell them, a first-year journeyman working a 40-hour week stands to make $45,000 to $50,000 a year, with the opportunity to make more. They also ask if I've ever been shocked. I tell them, yes, but it wasn't life threatening."

He credits his training with helping him know how to work around electricity safely and adds, "Union electricians receive continuing education through their careers, so they can keep up with developments in the field, including updated safety information."

Those in the field, such as Hunigan, who recognize that continued education not only ensures safety in the workplace but also increases earning potential, reinforce the message of lifelong learning that is emphasized in today's career and technical education programs.

"I'm blessed to have work experience in a lot of different areas," he says. "In my line of work, the more you know, the more marketable you are. And it's a field where you can learn something different every day, both on-the-job and through the union's educational opportunities."

Demonstrating Success

Another experienced electrician I call upon for presentations is Cassandra "Cassie" Jones, who developed her interest in electronics back in high school.

"I like knowing what makes things work," Jones says. "When I'm finished with a project, it feels good to see the lights come on or hear the motor start running. It gives me a real sense of achievement."

Jones became an apprentice at age 21, during her college years. She even put her college education on hold to pursue her apprenticeship.

"I was going to school for electronics," she explains, "when I saw a note on a bulletin board about electrician apprenticeships. I checked it out and decided to enter the program."

She later completed her apprenticeship training and also received her degree in electronics at Blackhawk College in Moline, Illinois. The apprenticeship was a real change for her, but an enjoyable one.

"It turned out to be a great trade for me," notes Jones. "I've worked on a lot of different projects, and that keeps it interesting."

When Jones gives a presentation, she sometimes brings a circuit board with a dimmer switch and lets the students do a little elementary wiring.

"It's completely safe," she explains, "and the kids get a kick out of it. I also may bring in samples of cable, so they can see how heavy industrial electrical cable can get. A one-foot piece can weight 10 or 15 pounds."

Jones has taken on other educational duties for NECA-IBEW. "I've taught safety classes and first-aid/CPR training for the apprentices and journeymen," she says.

We all take pride in Hunigan and Jones for their achievements, because they represent the best qualities of all our union apprentices and journeymen. They offer the Quad Cities an unmatched combination of expertise, enthusiasm and community spirit.

It is important to work with the school system and with programs such as the MTIP to tell success stories such as those of Hunigan and Jones.

"We want young people to know about the great opportunities our field holds for them," says Steven B. Chesley, executive manager of the Quad Cities NECA. "We hope the students we talk to today will become our colleagues, years down the road."

Paul Lartz is the training director at the Quad City Electrical Training Center. He can be contacted at [e-mail].