ABC Carolinas Showcases Apprenticeship Program at Charlotte Open House

ABC Carolinas marked Careers in Construction month this October by holding an Apprenticeship Open House at the association’s Charlotte training center on Tuesday evening, October 8. Among the more than 120 guests in attendance were current enrollees in ABC-Charlotte’s Electrical Apprenticeship Program, together with ABCC instructors, and representatives from their employers – local, regional and national electrical contractors. Other attendees included vendors suppliers, Mecklenburg County inspectors and potential program partners. The festivities included raffles, door prizes and other giveaways.

“We wanted to showcase how ABC is partnering with Carolinas contractors to prepare the construction workforce of the future. These are exciting times in our quest to promote what we at ABC often refer to as ‘The Other 4-Year Degree.’ ABC-affiliated Electrical Apprenticeship Programs in Charlotte, Raleigh and Upstate South Carolina are all experiencing record enrollment this fall,” said Sara Breeggemann, Director of Workforce Development for ABC Carolinas.

Employer partners for the Charlotte Apprenticeship Program include A3 Communications, Adams Electric, Diversified Electrical Services, Eldeco, Inc, Gaylor Electric, HardHat Workforce Solutions, Hinson Electric, Howard Brothers Electric, New Electric (IEG), Industrial Electric Company, Power Design Inc, PowerWorks Electric, Quality Power Solutions, Romanoff Group, Service Electric & Control, Starr Electric, Watson Electric Company and Watson Electrical Construction Company.

Open House sponsors included Howard Brothers Electric, which provided BBQ; along with Starr Electric Company and Gaylor Electric.  Signage printing was donated by Duncan Parnell.

ABC Carolinas’ rigorous four-year electrical apprenticeship program entails working full time during the day and attending classes two nights per week. The apprentices’ on-the-job training encompasses a variety of tasks, including use and care of tools, conduit, switchboards, wiring devices, lighting fixtures, motors and controls and general electrical work. The four years of classroom training utilizes standardized curriculum developed by the National Center for Construction and Education Research (NCCER).

For information on the ABC Carolinas Apprenticeship and Craft Training Program, please contact Sara Breeggemann, Director of Workforce Development.