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IEC Workforce Services Continue Throughout Summer

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IEC Workforce Services Continue Throughout Summer
By: Hance Joiner, IEC Georgia Workforce Recruiter

This summer, we had the privilege to watch IEC Apprentices be awarded their Journeyworker certificates. A few days later we joined high school students, college students, instructors, and industry professionals from all over the country at the National Skills USA Competition. IEC contractors and staff set up, administered, and judged the Residential Wiring competition, with 72 student competitors, and the Industrial Motor Controls competition, with 41 students. 

IEC staff/contractors attended and provided hands-on training at Camp T&I in Brunswick (6/3) and Calhoun (7/16). Camp T&I is a yearly summer camp for high school construction instructors where they hear from industry stakeholders and learn various hands-on construction skills. 

In addition to supporting Camp T&I, IEC staff/contractors spoke at and hosted a field trip for Georgia Tech’s “Electrical Systems and Sustainability” summer camp (7/17). IEC Atlanta also hosted a parent’s night, to provide valuable information to candidate stakeholders, like the use of the 529 Plan to cover apprenticeship costs. 

With high school students returning to classes soon, Marcus Benson and Hance Joiner are making plans for fall visits, Skills Challenge competition support, and more! Make sure you stay connected with your local Workforce Coordinator to stay tapped into IEC’s workforce services!

Georgia Chapter contractors, please take a minute to respond to the 2025 Wage Survey. Responses are due by July 31 and will assist the IEC in setting an accurate minimum wage scale, as is required by the DoL. The responses also help your Workforce Coordinator when providing accurate and up to date data for candidates and stakeholders.

National Skills Wire Off Competitiion
IEC Booth



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IEC Atlanta/GA Hosts Industrial Motor Controls Competition at SkillsUSA

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IEC Atlanta/GA Hosts Industrial Motor Controls Competition at SkillsUSA

By:Hance Joiner, IEC Georgia Workforce Recruiter

On February 20-22, high school students and post secondary students showcased their skills across multiple disciplines and industries like construction, health science, and leadership. For more than 25 years, the IEC hosted the Industrial Motor Controls competition, putting students’ wiring and conduit bending skills to the test. 

IEC staff spoke with middle school students, high school students, post secondary students, instructors, parents, and administrators. We had the opportunity to create new partnerships, while reinforcing existing ones. Staff and instructors also led hands on activities where participants learned how to wire up single pull, 3-way, and 4-way switches, carrying on the IEC’s mission to train and educate the next generation of electricians.  See pictures from this event below.

Skills IMC Contest

Contractor Skills

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Contractor Skills
By: Todd Hawkins, IEC Atlanta/GA Associate Executive Director             

Recently, IEC hosted the Skills USA Georgia Industrial Motor Control Contest at the Georgia World Congress Center.  Thank You to these individuals and companies for supporting this annual with staff to judge the event:

Mike Gunter – IEC Atlanta and Georgia Chapters

Justin Haggard – Capital City Electrical Services

James Wesley – MetroPower, Inc.

Travis Worn – Pat Murphy Electric, Inc.

Skills USA is a club that primarily operates in public schools and colleges.  Skills USA helps young people develop skills in automotive, culinary arts, law enforcement, woodworking, and many of the skilled trades.   The talents they learn in Skills USA make these individuals prime candidates to work for IEC Member Contractors.

For instance, the February event displayed Skilled Trade Contests in Plumbing, Cabinetry, Electrical and Masonry to name a few.  Since these students already have acclimation to working in the trades it makes for IEC Members to convince them to choose electrical construction as their career choice. 

IEC Atlanta & Georgia Chapters continuously seeks more individuals to work for member companies.  Specifically seeking individuals that already have some connection to working with their hands, show a desire to work as an electrician or have some amount of trade training.  Finding this type of person helps IEC members because in many cases these individuals already understand the work environment and have relatable skills.

We need to move applicants to hired status. From January 1 – February 28, 2022 IEC received approximately 72 applicants to the apprenticeship program.  These are individuals that expressed a desire to work for member companies.  The key is moving quickly to start the hiring conversation.  To do this, contractors are urged to review the out of work list regularly, send a text message to people you are interested in talking to and inviting them to an interview.  Virtual interviews can work as a first step. 

For those Contractors that need to hire experienced people before hiring more green ones, Ladder service comes with your membership.  At this time Ladder shows 2396 active candidates seeking jobs with IEC Member.  A deeper dive show IEC companies have 10 or more active candidates per week. 

IEC looks forward to finding more interested workers for member companies, seeing those candidates go to work for you and finding ways to help you retain those new workers along the way.

 

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