CarolinaPower leadership recently held a kick-off meeting with its current group of electrical apprentices in Greenville, S.C. as they prepared to start Fall 2018 classes through the Carolinas ABC Upstate Electrical Apprenticeship program. Registered apprenticeships are employer-sponsored training programs that produce highly skilled workers – a win-win for the employer and apprentice employees.
The Carolinas ABC Upstate Electrical Apprenticeship program is a partnership among four electrical contractors. The program is administered by the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Carolinas Chapter, with classes held at Greenville Technical College. The program provides a combination of classroom, laboratory, and live work experiences. CarolinaPower apprentices work full-time during the day, then attend classes several evenings per week at Greenville Tech. The comprehensive program teaches the skills for both construction and maintenance electricians.
“The construction industry as a whole has a large skills gap. We are proud to be partnered with Greenville Tech and local competitors to educate and train this group of bright and enthusiastic apprentices for a great career. It is very important for us to invest in this program because the future of our industry depends on it,” said Travis Oswald, branch manager for CarolinaPower’s Greenville office.
CarolinaPower apprentices who graduate from the Carolinas ABC Upstate Electrical Apprenticeship program are well prepared for permanent employment or have a strong foundation to pursue further education. ABC Carolinas Chapter is a strong proponent of construction industry apprenticeships, and often refers to this and other electrical apprenticeships in the region as “the other four-year degree.”
CarolinaPower’s Statewide Involvement in DOL-Registered Electrical Apprenticeship Program
CarolinaPower offices statewide participate in the same four-year Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship training program described above. The program utilizes curriculum developed by the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) that covers NCCER Core Curriculum – Introductory Craft Skills and NCCER Electrical Level I to IV classes. Successful completers receive certificates from both the college and nationally recognized credentials from NCCER.
In Columbia, CarolinaPower’s apprenticeship program is administered by the Columbia Electric Council, while the North Augusta program is administered by IEC Georgia. The Charleston office’s program is administered by the Charleston Electrical Contractors Association, with Trident Technical College as education partner.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.