{"id":17426,"date":"2019-04-22T13:04:29","date_gmt":"2019-04-22T13:04:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/?p=17426"},"modified":"2019-04-22T13:04:29","modified_gmt":"2019-04-22T13:04:29","slug":"hire-heroes-usa-industry-spotlight-electrical-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/hire-heroes-usa-industry-spotlight-electrical-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Hire Heroes USA Industry Spotlight: Electrical Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Hire Heroes USA Spotlight: Electrical Industry<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n

Give Skilled Labor a Chance<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n

Servicemembers transitioning out of the military are often looking for jobs with comparable benefits, education, and a pension. Have you ever thought about popping the blue-collar? Today\u2019s job market is primed for skilled labor and you might just be someone\u2019s everyday hero.<\/p>\n

The shortage of skilled labor is no joke. According to a study from Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute, \u201cthe skills gap may leave an estimated 2.4 million positions unfilled between 2018 and 2028\u2026. Persistent skills shortage(s) could risk US $2.5 trillion economic output over the next decade\u201d (3-5). That is a lot of vacant jobs out there – with a hefty price on the US if don\u2019t we turn things around. \u00a0Don\u2019t get me wrong, skilled labor is not an easy path. It still requires advanced training and education, and you may even need an Associate Degree from a community or junior college.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I recently discussed opportunities for veterans in the skilled trades with Mike Kufchak, a retired Marine Corps Sergeant Major. He is now the Director of Veteran Affairs for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 11.\u00a0 He is a champion of the skilled labor movement and represents electricians in the Los Angeles area. Electrical skilled trades are needed now more than ever and provide amazing opportunities, pay and benefits.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

During our discussion, Mike emphasized that \u201c[People] are only limited by themselves! Opportunity, pay, and benefits within the union are equal for men and women. Women are just as capable to perform the work at all levels of the building trades. Working in the skilled trades can be a source of empowerment, independence and advancement.\u201d<\/p>\n

What is the level and type of education required?<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n

An Inside Wireman, for example, completes a 5-year apprenticeship, comprised of ten semesters of formal education and 8,000 hours of \u201con the job\u201d training. Mike emphasized that an apprentice is paid for all on the job training.\u00a0 The cost of apprenticeship training and classes is approximately $35,000 and is fully paid for by the Union.<\/p>\n

What is the pay?<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n

Mike shared that an average Journeyman in the Los Angeles Area earns $46\/hour before benefits and is fully compensated at $78\/hour. Pay varies, depending on your location due to the cost of living; larger metropolitan areas tend to pay more.<\/p>\n

According to O*Net, the national average wage for an electrician is $26.01\/hour, which is about $54,100 annually. Comparatively, Jane Burnett reported in her article for\u00a0The<\/em>\u00a0Ladders\u00a0<\/em>that the \u201caverage person with a 4-year degree will earn approximately $50,398.40 within their first year [of work]. \u201cA new electrician with a paid 5-year apprenticeship can potentially make more than a new graduate with a 4-year degree. This is something to seriously consider.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Why Veterans?<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n

Mike mentioned that a transitioning veteran is highly desirable \u201cbecause of reliability, dependability, accountability, leadership, and they are drug-free. With the changing laws and the advancement of hair follicle testing capabilities, we can know the drug history of applicants. It is a safety issue. Veterans are immersed in a heavy safety environment, resulting in responsible behavior and a drug-free mentality.\u201d As you can imagine, safety compliance is essential with electrical work, giving veterans an edge in the vetting process.<\/p>\n

How do you get into the Union and what is the process for veterans?<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n

Mike referenced the \u201cHelmets to Hardhats\u201d program which sends him potential veteran candidates in the Los Angeles area. He also hosts booths at job fairs and community events. \u00a0Additionally, he gives presentations and is a speaker at many local events which drive his recruiting pool. You can also get connected via the internet and the local union network.\u00a0<\/p>\n

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 11 actively reaches out to veterans and provides a \u201cfast track\u201d into the union. If a veteran has an honorable discharge and good re-enlistment status, the union waives certain requirements to enter the union\u2019s boot camp program. The fast track pushes veterans through in 6 to 9 months from application to boot camp, as opposed to the normal 2-year wait. If you are thinking about applying, be sure to connect with the union and let them know that you are a veteran.\u00a0 Other local unions may have a similar program.<\/p>\n

If you are looking for a career as an electrical journeyman, the future is bright. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the industry is expected to grow 9% from 2016 to 2026.\u00a0 To get more information, check out your local International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union. For veterans in the Los Angeles area, connect with Mike Kufchack to learn more.<\/p>\n

Citations:<\/p>\n

\u201c2018 Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute skills Gap and future of work study.\u201d\u00a0Deloitte Insights.\u00a0<\/em>http:\/\/www.themanufacturinginstitute.org\/~\/media\/E323C4D8F75A470E8C96D7A07F0A14FB\/DI_2018_Deloitte_MFI_skills_gap_FoW_study.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

Burnnett, Jane. \u201c2018 College Graduates will earn an average salary of $50K.\u201d\u00a0Ladders.\u00a0<\/em>May 2018.\u00a0https:\/\/www.theladders.com\/career-advice\/if-you-graduate-this-year-youre-likely-to-make-more-than-50k-in-your-first-job<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cElectricians-Job Outlook\u201d\u00a0Occupational Outlook Handbook.<\/em>\u00a0 Bureau of Labor Statistics. March 18, 2019\u00a0https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/ooh\/construction-and-extraction\/electricians.htm<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cElectricians\u201d Summary Report, March 18, 2019.\u00a0https:\/\/www.onetonline.org\/link\/summary\/47-2111.00<\/a><\/p>\n

Kufchak, Michael. Personal Interview. March, 18, 2019<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hire Heroes USA Spotlight: Electrical Industry Give Skilled Labor a Chance Servicemembers transitioning out of the military are often looking for jobs with comparable benefits, education, and a pension. Have you ever thought about popping the blue-collar? Today\u2019s job market is primed for skilled labor and you might just be someone\u2019s everyday hero. The shortage […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":17417,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17426","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-employment-partners"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17426","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17426"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17426\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17417"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}