Misconceptions about skilled trades have plagued the industry for years. Young people have been encouraged to attend college post high school graduation and continue to work long careers at a desk until retirement, without allowing opportunities for those who enjoy working with their hands or have natural mechanical talents to grow. Warren JATC instructor Mike…
Students from across the Mahoning Valley were tradespeople for a day at the Skilled Trades Expo on Sept. 21 and 22, learning hands-on and interacting with workers to learn about opportunities in the building and construction industry. NECA-IBEW Electricians were represented by the Warren and Youngstown training centers, current apprentices and representative contractors who introduced…
Driving along Market Street in Boardman, work on Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley has been ongoing for about a year. While still seeing patients, an emergency room expansion project is underway, with “Joe” Dickey Electric running the electrical lines throughout the new space. Going with the flow Kurt Eisenbraun is job foreman for Dickey Electric….
As a new wave of technology strikes the globe, one industry is taking proactive steps to make sure everyone is ready ahead of the storm. Several journeyman electricians from the NECA IBEW Mahoning Valley chapter have completed an electric vehicle infrastructure training program, or EVITP. Mark Gentile of MG Electric, Eric Hassen of Tri-Area Electric…
There’s a “new” face at the IBEW Local 573 union hall in Champion. On Friday, July 8, Todd Ambrose was sworn in as the new business manager/financial secretary for a three-year term. At the top of his priority list: building on the “brotherhood” aspect of the organization. “I want to put the time and effort…
Third-year apprentice James Tate is grateful he’s in a union apprenticeship. His story begins after college graduation. He earned a criminal justice degree. “I knew in that field I wouldn’t make the best salary,” Tate said. “I always liked to work outside, work with my hands.” Working a “desk job” didn’t sound appealing. “I didn’t…
Throughout high school, Alex Birtalan didn’t want to go to college. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I didn’t want to just shoot in the dark” and have loans to pay back later, he said. His father, a sheet metal tradesman, approached Birtalan about joining a trade. “I always remember him saying good…
For Brogan Kenneally, making the switch from military life to full-time electrician has been smooth. The fourth-year apprentice served with the Ohio National Guard for six years, which coincided with his apprenticeship. Kenneally is currently working at University Electric in Youngstown. Easy balancing act “IBEW Local 573 was able to help me balance military obligations…
Energy in Downtown Cortland this past weekend was buzzing, and the community has IBEW Local 573 to thank. Since 2019, the union has volunteered time to help set up and energize the Cortland Street Fair. The latest one was held July 21-23. Mike Reed, a journeyman electrician with “Joe” Dickey Electric, led the process this…
While giving different career paths a go, it was electricity that caused a lightbulb to go off for Grace Morrison. “During my life I’ve had a lot of different career experiences,” she said. Her background includes licensed cosmetology to customer service and management. “I wanted to do something that mattered,” Morrison said. She’s currently working…