IBEW Local 164 Hosts U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and NJ Gov. Jon Corzine

http://www.paramuspost.com/article.php/20090504102456532

By Mel Fabrikant Tuesday, May 05 2009, 04:24 PM EDT

Union’s Commitment to Diversity and Renewable Energy Recognized

IBEW Local 164’s commitment to ethnic and gender diversity, as well as renewable energy, prompted a recent visit from U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine to the local’s Paramus, N.J.-based Training Academy. The 40,000-square-foot educational facility provides cutting- edge training to more than 1,000 federally registered apprentices who reflect New Jersey’s rich diversity.



The local is installing a 432-panel photovoltaic system, one of the largest, at 205 Robin Road, its headquarters building located adjacent to the training center. Once the office building is completed, 216 modules will be installed at the Training Academy, which also is undergoing an expansion to include a two-story addition. The local is a trailblazer in developing one of the first photovoltaic (PV) training programs focusing on the installation, repair and maintenance of solar technology and “green” control systems.

“Local 164 is proud to have had the opportunity to host Secretary Solis and Governor Corzine. They were extremely interested in our Training Academy, innovative solar training model and apprentices, whose backgrounds reflect the diverse communities in which we provide unrivaled electrical and telecommunications services,” said Richard Dressel, business manager. IBEW Local 164’s apprentices are more than 21 percent minority, and that number continues to grow.

Local 164’s intensive curriculum, which is administered by the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee involving representatives from Local 164 as well as the Bergen-Essex-Hudson Division of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), combines classroom lectures and labs with on-the-job, supervised training. Offerings range from pre-apprenticeship classes for high school students and the five-year electrical and four-year telecommunications apprenticeship programs, which serve as the foundation for construction careers, to more than 20 journeyperson skill improvement and safety courses.

Among these continuing education classes is a 24-hour hands-on PV training series held in a specially designed laboratory established three years ago in partnership with Sharp Solar Systems. Two classes are conducted simultaneously year ‘round. The technology-based course of study addresses the fundamentals of solar power generation, as well as issues and concerns for the proper and safe installation of the PV system. To date, more than 300 members have successfully completed the curriculum.

FULL story at link.