Author Archives: necaibew







(Part 2) 12 Reasons to Become a Union Electrician. College isn’t for everyone, but a good career opportunity is


College isn’t for everyone, but there’s a false perception that it should be. Sure, the majority of high school graduates —66 percent! — enroll in college; and for many onlookers, those students are deemed the “successful” ones. But nobody tells you that a whopping 41 percent of those students eventually drop out before completing their degree. […]

IBEW Local 573 to walk 24 hours at Warren Relay For Life


Members, apprentices and volunteers from IBEW Local 573 in Warren are stepping up their game, literally, at this year’s American Cancer Society Relay For Life on Courthouse Square in Warren May 6-7. Every year they maintain a strong presence at the event, raising money by selling mushrooms and pulled pork and turkey sandwiches, as well […]

Apply online – New JATC websites enable easier apprentice application process


Launched earlier this month, newly refreshed websites for the Warren and Youngstown Area JATCs include the functionality to apply for electrician apprentice programs online. “We not only updated the site’s design to give it a fresh look, but we added convenience features for our members and applicants,” said Eric Davis, Warren Electrical JATC training director. […]

NECA-IBEW Electricians’ drug-free workplace backed by the numbers


Numbers don’t lie. Neither do drug tests. A look at the latest Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index (DTI) shows that the positivity rate for the general U.S. workforce increased overall by 9.3 percent, to 4.7 percent in 2014 – the most recent data available – compared to 4.3 percent in 2013. But results from NECA-IBEW […]

NECA-IBEW Electricians power VFW Post 4237 in Austintown


An initial wave of donated labor and materials from various union building trades have kicked off a multi-phase renovation of VFW Post 4237 in Austintown. This week, electricians from NECA-IBEW Electricians member contactor Zenith Systems are upgrading the electrical service for the existing structure. They’ll remove the three old services and install two new services […]

First in a Series: 12 Reasons to Become a Union Electrician


Do you like to work with your hands? Is college or an office job not all that appealing to you? Do you want to make a very good living and learn a marketable, lifetime skill? Considering a career in the building trades is a good place to start. The construction industry is booming right here in […]

VEC Electrical Engineer sworn in as American citizen


According to a NECA-IBEW Electricians member contractor VEC, Inc. news release, Ahmad Omishot, electrical engineer, was sworn in as an American citizen in a naturalization oath ceremony in Youngstown today. Omishat has been with VEC for almost a year and is originally from Jordan. He moved to the United States to attend college at Youngstown […]

2016 Outlook — NECA-IBEW Electricians Emphasize Education and Training While Embracing New Technology


(The following was also published in the (Youngstown) Business Journal’s Growth Report 2016) Each year the electrical industry experiences significant advances in technology, both on the jobsite and in how individual contractors run their businesses more efficiently. It’s a constant state of learning and adapting to new tools and ways of doing things, coupled with […]

Mahoning Guidance Counselors Hear “6 Little Known Facts About Building Trades Apprenticeships”


Eyes were opened. Questions were asked. Connections were made. Youngtown Area Electrical Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee director Ed Emerick co-presented about the benefits of organized building trades apprentice programs to Mahoning County high school guidance counselors with peers from the Plumbers and Pipefitters and the Builders Association. “It was a unified message about encouraging the right […]