Northhampton News

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) 357 Joint Apprenticeship and Training Fund will be receiving $296,396 to train 30 Lehigh Valley apprentices interested in future careers in a trade.

According to a release by Gov. Tom Wolf, the funding is through the state’s Pre-Apprentice and Apprenticeship Grant Program, which has supported 88 pre-apprentice and apprenticeship programs and invested nearly $14 million since Wolf entered office in 2015. The funds are through the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Pre-Apprentice and Apprenticeship Grant Program.

“We are very grateful to DCED for this apprenticeship grant that will help grow our existing program and expand apprenticeship opportunities in the Lehigh Valley,” Robert Franklin, training and safety director for IBEW Local 357, said in the release. “With the ever-changing workforce and the retirement of the Baby Boomer generation, now is the perfect time to use these funds for outreach, registering and training the next generation of apprentices.”

Local IBEW 357, a labor union that has been around since 1914, represents workers in the electrical trade construction field, public works, cable television, communications, power generation and other trades.

The curriculum for the program includes, the National Electrical Code, telecommunications wiring and fiber optics designed to help rural and underserved areas get broadband, solar power, power grid updates, learning safe job practices, and programmatic logic controls. 

Upon completion there will be a placement process with more than 300 Lehigh Valley employers that are partners with the program.

Wolf said he was proud to announce the grant awards, saying they are “crucial for Pennsylvania’s future.”

“Investing in apprenticeship programs like this one ensures there is a strong pipeline of new talent for the construction industry for many years to come,” Wolf said.