America will need to train more than 270,000 new electrical and power line workers by 2016, according to statistics recently released by the U.S. Dept. of Labor. Predictions are that, between 2006 and 2016, an annual average of 27,000 new electricians will be necessary to accommodate growth in the industry and to replace those leaving the workforce — with a total turnover rate of nearly 27 percent of the workforce. By 2016, the number of electrical and power line workers is expected to reach 877,000, with an increase of 66,000 jobs beyond the 2006 level of 817,000.
The figures are reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in its 2008-2009 Occupational Handbook available at www.bls.gov, with a print version expected to be available by spring 2008.
Says Ed Hill, president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), “It’s imperative that we recruit and train the next generation of electricians today, because many electrical jobs require years of classroom and hands-on training before the necessary levels of worker quality and safety can be achieved. And being taught by experienced craftsmen is by far the best way to convey those skills.”
Milner Irvin, president of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), said, “The need for skilled electrical workers to meet the growing demands of our high-tech society is a concern that cuts across geographical borders. That’s why IBEW and NECA are actively recruiting new workers nationwide, using tools such as job fairs, DVDs, websites like www.electrifyingcareers.com, even sponsoring a NASCAR racer to alert young people to the job opportunities in our industry. He said that through NECA’s National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, the association offers young people America’s largest electrical training program and the chance to join “the best-trained, most up-to-date electrical apprentices and journeymen in the country.”