Thriving in the Cabling Industry: Education, Licensure, and Career Pathways with IEC Chesapeake's Grant Schmelzer

Unlock the secrets to thriving in the ever-evolving cabling industry with insights from Grant Schmelzer, CEO of the Independent Electrical Contractors, Chesapeake chapter. Discover how staying ahead of the game with continuous education and industry-recognized credentials is more crucial than ever as we brace for significant changes in the National Electrical Code by 2026. We'll explore IEC Chesapeake's innovative efforts to expand access to training nationwide through e-apprenticeship programs, remote learning, and cutting-edge technology, ensuring that technicians are always at the forefront of the industry.

Join us as we unravel the complexities of licensing requirements for low-voltage systems contractors and the urgent need for standardized regulations across states. Through engaging discussions, we'll highlight the pivotal role of apprenticeship programs, supported by both government incentives and corporate investments, in bridging skill gaps and enhancing workforce capabilities. You'll hear about how IEC Chesapeake is revolutionizing training with live webcasts, hands-on labs, and virtual reality, ensuring that technicians are well-prepared, even in challenging economic climates.

Chart a course for success in the cabling industry with promising career pathways that offer structured growth and advancement opportunities. We'll examine the transformative impact of integrating licensure and apprenticeship programs, particularly for young people entering the field. Discover how trade jobs offer not only lifelong careers but also the chance to play critical roles in society, as evidenced by electricians during the COVID-19 pandemic. With a focus on practical advice for aspiring professionals, this episode is a roadmap for anyone looking to embark on a rewarding journey in the electrical industry.

Chapters

• 0:00 Education and Career Advancement in Cabling
• 11:46 Standardized Licensing and Training in Cabling
• 23:35 Pathway to Cabling Industry Advancement
• 32:13 Expanding Opportunities in Low Voltage Industry

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey Wiremonkeys, welcome to another episode of let's Talk Cabling. Today we're talking about going back to school. Welcome to the show where we tackle the tough questions submitted by installers, technicians, project foreman, project managers, estimators, even customers. We're connecting at the human level so that we can connect the world. If you're watching this show on YouTube, would you mind hitting the subscribe button and the bell button to be notified when new content is being produced? If you're listening to us on one of the audio podcast platforms, would you mind leaving us a five-star rating? Those simple little steps helps us take on the algorithm so we can educate, encourage and enrich the lives of people in the ICT industry.

Speaker 1: 0:56

Wednesday nights, 6 pm, eastern Standard Time. What are you doing? You know I do a live stream on TikTok and Facebook and Instagram and LinkedIn and all bunch of other places where you get to ask your favorite RCDD and you know that's me, don't even try to deny it your questions on installation, certification, design, project management, estimation, even career path questions. But I can hear you now, but, chuck, I'm driving my truck at Wednesday nights at 6 pm. I don't want to get into an accident. I record them and you can watch them when it's safe to do so. And finally, while this show is free and will always remain free, if you find value in this content, would you mind clicking on that QR code right there? You can buy me a cup of coffee. You can schedule a 15-minute one-on-one call with me after hours, of course, and there's also other methods too, for supporting the show.

Speaker 1: 1:49

So, as I said in the show, it's about that time of the year where most of our children are going back to school. Have you ever thought about going back to school? You know it's one of the taglines of the podcast knowledge is power. It's surprised me how many times I hear people say yeah, but training is so expensive. Dad always used to say if you think knowledge is expensive, try stupidity. So you really should be going for always learning. The more you learn, the more you realize you don't know. And there's lots of avenues out there today, lots of avenues. So I'm bringing in a special guest to talk to me. He's been on the show before to talk about education in his room. Welcome back to the show, grant. How are you doing, my friend?

Speaker 3: 2:33

Chuck, thanks for having me. You're right, it's like school.

Speaker 1: 2:37

Exactly right. So it's been a while since you've been on the show, so why don't you go ahead and just give us the 30 secondssecond? Who is Grant and who is IEC Chesapeake?

Speaker 3: 2:46

Yeah. So, chuck, it's a pleasure to be back here again. So my name is Grant Schmelzer. I'm the CEO of the Independent Electrical Contractors, the Chesapeake chapter. We are located in Laurel, maryland, and since we last talked, we've grown our footprint. We've grown our footprint. We now have 14 different training locations spread across Maryland, virginia, dc, west Virginia and Delaware. So we've just expanded recently to put training sites this past January in Fredericksburg, virginia, and Richmond, virginia, and about two weeks ago maybe three weeks ago we announced a new training location in the Hampton Roads area and shortly we'll be announcing our 15th in Virginia. So it's a great time to be in the electrical industry, whether it's on the renewable energy side, traditional electrical or, of course, in the low voltage or systems world.

Speaker 1: 3:49

Now, those locations you mentioned are just specifically IEC Chesapeake, right? That is correct. So there are other IEC chapters. You guys are nationwide correct, Yep.

Speaker 3: 3:59

We have 50 plus chapters around the country. What has really been happening and I'll say the only positive result of COVID are people are more comfortable with the technology. So we started offering, a couple of years before COVID, what we call e-apprenticeship or online, and we at IEC Chesapeake offer that actually nationwide. If there's not a chapter near you, we can provide you with this state and federally approved apprenticeship program and we actually have what we term the low voltage or telecommunications techs all over the world. They're working in embassies, they're in SCIF sites, they're working in embassies.

Speaker 1: 4:54

They're in SCIF sites because, as we all know, you have to be a US citizen to be doing that government work on technically US soil, even though it's not in the US Absolutely. So let me ask you this why is it important for, so let's say, the low voltage tech to consider going back to school to pursue additional education?

Speaker 3: 5:11

specifically in today's job market. Candidly speaking, the industry-recognized credentials are extremely important for employers. What that translates into is a standard of which they can be viewed when putting in an application for employment. They can be viewed when putting in an application for employment. Secondarily, we are continuing to see the evolution of the low voltage and systems industry right. The whole National Electrical Code in 2029 will look completely different than it does today, and part of that is this emergence of what's considered low voltage, what's considered high voltage and what's traditional. So what we're going to be seeing out of NFPA is a complete revamp of the entire National Electrical Code and it's really going to break it up by their definitions.

Speaker 1: 6:07

Yeah, there's some huge changes being talked about in the 2026 edition of the NEC. I'm still waiting to see how that all falls out, but you need to be paying attention to that stuff. You really do.

Speaker 3: 6:21

Absolutely. And while there's going to be some major changes in 2026, I guess the revamp or what it's going to look like to our installers and our electricians out there, 2029 is really when you'll see it fully evolved into the final product. I think they're going to kind of phase it in in 2026 and complete it by 2029. At least that's what I'm hearing.

Speaker 1: 6:48

I hope to be retired before 2029. So let's talk about additional training in low voltage right, Such as, let's say, copper or data. How's that going? If somebody pursues that additional education, how's it going to impact their career advancement in this field?

Speaker 3: 7:13

So you know our baseline here within the IEC world and I would also, while I can't speak 100%, for the IBEW. What's going on is this evolution of this technology which is looking at. Okay, here's the theory behind it, here's some basic installation practices, and that gets everybody up to a certain level. And as the technology continues to emerge and evolve, what you're seeing is these industry-recognized credentials such as Bixie right, such as NYSET on the fire alarm side. So the goal is for them to get the theory and the practical basic installations set to go and then use the technology as it continues to evolve to get these additionally recognized credentials and all the data center work that's going on right. We all know that it's here and it's not going anywhere for at least the next decade, right, especially in your backyard.

Speaker 3: 8:19

Oh yeah, there's a lot going on. I'll just say that.

Speaker 1: 8:23

There's a lot of data centers over there in Northern Virginia.

Speaker 3: 8:26

Yeah, northern Virginia, and in Maryland they just approved the quantum loop which will be between Frederick and Washington counties, which basically there's a cable now that goes over or under, I should say, the Potomac, because of all the power out by Dulles Airport for the listeners that aren't as familiar with the DMV. And then you have a whole other two other massive projects going on in Southern Virginia as well. So there's a lot of data center work. I know some of our members are doing work out and there's a huge uptick out in Arizona, from what I'm hearing, and then strategically around the United States and generally it starts off as one or two data centers but they soon become multiple different projects, kind of phase one phase two and phase three of the project.

Speaker 2: 9:28

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Speaker 1: 10:09

Yeah, those kinds of projects they're they're rarely 100% built at at one shot, they usually do them in phases. Because it's so big, so huge, takes us such a such a huge amount of resources, and not not only material but also manpower, and that that zaps a lot, of, a lot of, and there's a finite resource of manpower right, a finite and you can only bring so many people in to do a job because there's only so many technicians available in that area. Which really drives the conversation towards apprenticeship and getting people interested in getting into this industry, right? So what kind of apprenticeship programs does IEC Chesapeake offer?

Speaker 3: 10:48

So we offer the traditional four-year electrical apprenticeship program and we have a three-year low-voltage or telecommunications program. Truth be told, we are analyzing the three-year low-voltage and telecommunications program. We actually, at our last apprenticeship committee meeting, established a subcommittee to review that, because we are contemplating knocking it down to a two-year program and then putting on the continuing education side of it. Because manufacturers do a lot of training but it's generally specific to the warranties and things like that. We recognize that we can potentially look at bringing it down to a two-year program and then work with our manufacturing partners to offer the specifics on their products as the continuing education class. The other big thing that's factoring in is we are starting to see in certain states not in my region we're starting to see different licensing conversations happening. So I am anticipating probably not before we both retire Chuck some type of standardized licensing in states, because right now it's, quite frankly, the wild, wild west.

Speaker 1: 12:17

It is. I mean there's some states that require and some states that don't even care about it.

Speaker 3: 12:22

Exactly, and it could be counties or municipalities within a state, right? Oh, absolutely, it looks different wherever you are. In our region, there are very few requirements for the low-voltage systems contractors as it relates to licensure they just haven't addressed it Right.

Speaker 1: 12:48

right. So that apprenticeship program, who pays for that? Does the apprentice pay for that, or is there government funding for it, or does a company sponsor it? How's that cost cover? Because I know you got it takes money to educate.

Speaker 3: 12:59

All the above is the best way to say that All the above is the best way to say that. So Maryland has done a phenomenal job in providing incentive funding for our businesses to help defer the cost for the first year of the apprenticeship program. The state will reimburse the company and there's certain requirements on it. They have to be working for X number of months, et cetera. And there's certain requirements on it. They have to be working for X number of months, et cetera. But they will help defer that cost up to $2,500 per employee that are newly registered apprentices, so their first year apprentice.

Speaker 3: 13:38

For years two, three and four on the electrical, years two and three on the low voltage or telecom side, they have a 50% Uh reimbursement policy. So really it's not costing a whole lot of money when it's all said and done with for the companies to invest in upskilling their existing workforce. Virginia has some similar funding. Dc is not as far along in terms of their funding and I have to look at it from a holistic, regional approach because a company could be working, have job sites in all three jurisdictions.

Speaker 3: 14:18

And then you throw Delaware in there, pennsylvania, west Virginia and then for our Virginia contractors, north Carolina too.

Speaker 1: 14:44

So that's the key that IEC Chesapeake is focused on, which is making sure it's a one-stop shop for the companies and their employees to provide consistent, standardized training across the region. I'm glad to hear that because you know when times get tough, usually the first budget that gets cut is training. The first budget that gets cut is training. So, since there's some funds out there to help companies make their technicians better and more efficient and help cover some of that cost it doesn't sound like all of it, but some of that cost, that's a good thing. Let me ask you about that specific apprenticeship class how does it balance the? Because technicians are most people who come into this field are tactile learners. They learn by putting their hands on things. So how do you balance the hands-on experience with classroom, especially for like low voltage?

Speaker 3: 15:21

So on the low voltage side, iec Chesapeake is actually the largest low voltage apprenticeship program in the state of Maryland. We are larger than our friends over at IBEW, and part of the reason why I believe we've been so successful in recruiting these companies to invest in their employees is it's not like a traditional job site for an electrician. These individuals tend to be more mobile. They're not on jobs for as long a duration. So we deliver our three-year low-voltage telecom program via webcast live webcast with the instructor. The students are then required to have their journey worker or technician more so in the low voltage industry sign off on certain labs. So that's how we build it in on the low voltage side, and again, as I mentioned when I did the first introduction, we have apprentices all over the world.

Speaker 3: 16:39

I think right now I know a student that just graduated the low voltage program was in Germany. I think we have a student in Japan right now. We've had them in Australia before. So they're going where the projects are and we don't want them to be penalized for going overseas for performing this work. So we work with them to keep up with their studies by videotaping, and we talked about house technology being integrated. That's some of the ways that we're integrating technology. That's some of the ways that we're integrating technology on the electrical side of our apprenticeship program. Iec has completely revamped its four year program to take into account renewable energy, things such as EV charging, solar wind so the students are getting some basic exposure to that because we're training electricians. Right, we're not training a residential electrician, we're not training a commercial electrician, a solar installer. It drives me up a wall when someone says, well, they're a solar installer. No, they're not an electrician, plain and simple.

Speaker 1: 17:49

Kind of like you're either pregnant or you're not pregnant.

Speaker 3: 17:54

Right.

Speaker 1: 17:55

So in between.

Speaker 3: 17:56

So the way that we've really incorporated that and this is post-COVID is we do one day a week in-person classroom and then one day a week live, instructor led virtual. Okay.

Speaker 3: 18:11

For those in-person classes, generally once or twice a marking period, depending upon what year of the program they're in. They have some lab training Because we may have some students that don't get exposure to different aspects of that electrical industry and because, as you mentioned, they're tactile learners, we want them to at least see it and touch it. And the same thing holds true for our e-apprenticeship or online apprenticeship program as our low voltage telecommunications program.

Speaker 3: 18:45

They're expected to perform in the labs, have it signed off by their journey worker, journey worker. And then we're also incorporating video now, because everybody has these gadgets, these phones. They can film it and they can send it in or take a picture of it. So we're really incorporating that into it. Now, what we're piloting and starting to play with is VR virtual reality. So we've been working with some manufacturers, such as Siemens, ideal, and seeing how we incorporate that into the training, because you're going to go through a lot of pipe, you're going to go through a lot of wire if you don't have the confidence or the exposure and that's primarily, of course, for a first-year apprentice. So do we make them feel comfortable doing it in a VR setting? I don't know if we're there yet, but we're starting to play with that within the apprenticeship program.

Speaker 1: 19:49

I was glad to hear you say that you're having them use their phones to record things to send back and stuff like that, and the reason for that is there's a lot of companies out there that are migrating to. Instead of issuing out paper service work orders, they issue their technicians a tablet or a phone. They get their tickets through their phone and a lot of times it's part of the documentation process. They got to take pictures of the documentation process. They got to take pictures of the work and stuff like that. So it's getting them used to using their phone for stuff for work Exactly.

Speaker 3: 20:22

All of our students, in either program, are required to either have a laptop or a tablet, and if it's a financial constraint, we work with them. There's some funding sources to help them. All of our programs are affiliated with community colleges. Gosh, I don't even know how many community colleges we're affiliated with anymore. The number keeps on growing. So it's not a financial barrier to the students, because while a phone's great for videotaping, it's not great for the learning experience. Right, it's a small device. So we do require that now for students, and that's been a big change since the last time I was on the show. Hold that thought.

Speaker 2: 21:07

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Speaker 1: 22:18

So what industry trends do you see that might influence the types of training and certifications that the technicians find valuable? Yeah, so.

Speaker 3: 22:28

I think licensing is coming. It's going to get here. I think you're going to see more jurisdictions doing it. We're talking about it in Maryland. We've been talking about it since we got the electrician's journey worker license through the General Assembly after 10 years of trying. I know they're starting to talk about it in Pennsylvania. So I definitely see licensing coming. What that looks like? I don't know what that looks like today.

Speaker 1: 23:00

Nobody does. If somebody tells you they know what it looks like, they're crazy because nobody knows, because I've seen some of the verges from some of the working groups working on this stuff and I'm looking at them like man, this is pretty vague stuff and it's going to be really boiled down to and you know this each and every AHJ and how they interpret it and how they want to apply it. So it might be one way in Maryland, another way in Florida and another way in Arizona, but I agree, I think it's coming. I got you and I think it's. I think it's a freight train. I don't think it's something that's going to be. You know, there's a lot of Louisville people saying you know, we, we need to stop this, and I understand why they're saying that, but I don't. There's a train. I don't think you're going to stop it. I truly don't.

Speaker 3: 23:54

And I. It protects the consumer, whether that be a residential or commercial or industrial. I think it also creates, especially for our young people, a pathway. They need, our young people very much need to understand how to go from point A to point B to point C. So I do believe there's an upside to this, because one of the biggest challenges that I hear from the systems and low voltage and telecommunications contractors is I can't find people. I think part of the issue is there's not a clear enough. This is how it happens and these are the steps that you need to take, and I think that's the biggest change that your average traditional company that's probably been in business five to 10 years plus is struggling to wrap their hands around the evolution of the industry. So I think that some of the labor pains that they are faced with would go away if they really embrace licensure and creating the career pathway for upward mobility.

Speaker 1: 25:15

Oh, I like that. I'm going to steal that one Career pathway to upward mobility. I'm stealing that. I'm writing it down right now Career pathway to upward mobility. I love that saying. You may hear that on future shows, by the way.

Speaker 3: 25:31

Hey, I'll just take a set for every time you mention it. There you go.

Speaker 1: 25:36

Well, I'll give you 10% of everything every time I mention that for that particular episode, since the podcast is making $0.

Speaker 3: 25:43

Exactly, and that's really what's going on in the country right now. Right, we have this resurgence of not everybody needs to go to college, even though I'll sit here and say to you and all the listeners the four-year and three-year apprenticeship programs, they're college classes. All of our programmings run through the community colleges. Depending upon the institution, we get anywhere between 12 and 34 credits towards an associate's degree. They're all on college campuses. All of our students are registered students with the community college system. So this is college, it just looks slightly different. They're getting some credit towards their work, right, they're getting, they're taking advantage of it, and then they have to take their general courses, your you know English, your math and things like that, in order to get the associate's degree.

Speaker 3: 26:44

But what we see is it's not about the degree. It's definitely a selling point for mom and dad or grandma and grandpa or that family member that's integral into that young person's life. It's about the credential, because what many of the students realize is they're going to be able to see more Benjamins, more money, with that credential at the end of the day. And what many of the employers are understanding is and since the last time we talked, we've been able to drop our average age of an apprentice from the late 20s to early 30s to under the age of 25. Nice, nice, and we have over a thousand apprentices in school. Nice, and we have over a thousand apprentices in school, nice.

Speaker 1: 27:33

That's going to resonate well, because my biggest audience demographic right now is 25 to 35. And then when I first started to broadcast that's kind of why I did it I did it for people just getting in this industry, or we've only been in the industry for a few years and now they're realizing, man, this is not a job. I need to treat this as a career and that's kind of why I love interviewing people like you and the JTC and people from Bixie, because those are the organizations that's going to take you from treating this job as a nine to five and only making X dollars to treating it as a career, ending up with something at the end of the career that you can look, that you you know like a retirement or something you look back on and and actually provide for your family, which absolutely that's a whole. Nother conversation, that's a different show.

Speaker 3: 28:20

Different show absolutely, and the reason why for you know the listeners, whether they be young or older is what we're getting closer to meeting the needs that are out there at the entry level. But what's waiting to happen is all the people our age, chuck, not to date ourselves they're going to be retiring. So the foreman, the project managers, the superintendents, that brain drain I call it, is going to be retiring. Yep, you can win the work and do the projects, but it starts and stops with those individuals that are supervising that installation, right, yep. So we need to get our young people, and we've made, since the last time we talked, we've made a tremendous emphasis on working with our high schools. We're getting ready to start somewhere between 30 and 40. I'll leave it vague a little bit High school seniors who are going to work part-time during their senior year, high school seniors who are going to work part time during their senior year, from start time to lunchtime, get paid and take year one of their apprenticeship program while in high school.

Speaker 3: 29:46

I call it advanced placement or AP for the trades. Don't use that one though, chuck, because Princeton won't be happy with you, princeton won't be happy with you and then, when they graduate high school, they're ready to go into year two of the apprenticeship program for related instruction. The lag behind a little bit on their on the job learning or on the job training, but now they're going to be a journey worker or technician a year ahead. So they're going to be at 21, 22, maybe some at 20. And then they can get that practical experience and learn from some of these old guys like you and I, um, um, and then they can go into those leadership positions. So that's important to recognize that it is hard work, no matter what segment of the industry. But then you have that upward mobility of leadership. Should you choose, some people may just enjoy being out in the field and seeing the fruits of their hard labor every day.

Speaker 1: 30:45

There are some people that enjoy building things and seeing things being built, being able to drive down through a street in a city. You know, I went back and did a vacation back to visit a family in Maryland a few years back and took the grand boys with me. We were cutting through DC and as we were going through the streets, poppy did the wiring in that building. Poppy did the wiring in that building. You know there are some people just get enjoyment out of that. Just, you know there's different, different strokes, different folks. And you know, when you were talking about the, the program where they you know they get out of school early and stuff to go work, that sounds a lot like the old what I, what I called the work study program when I went to high school, with the difference of the work study program when I was in. You just want the job and work worked. Here you're getting training and you're working and it's going to end up in a career. That's kind of where the main difference was.

Speaker 3: 31:38

Absolutely, and our retainment numbers are through the roof. So we started the program seven years ago and so well, it'll be seven years ago Next month. We started the program and two years ago it'll be seven years ago Next month. We started the program and two years ago we started to see our first graduating classes. Covid did throw a wrinkle in it a little bit, as it did with everything, but now every single year for the last three years, the numbers continue to grow. We've dealt with the insurance issues. We've dealt with all of that. We're trying to replicate in Virginia now, but we're working with and I'm sure your listeners know you're, you're a DC local, but we're looking at working with Prince George's County, montgomery County, howard County, baltimore County, frederick County. I think we may have our first student over on the eastern shore of Maryland. So we are starting to penetrate. You know what I would say? Traditional high schools. That has been college, college, college.

Speaker 1: 32:47

Yeah, and just to kind of reiterate, you are IEC Chesapeake, servicing the Delaware, maryland, virginia area. But there are other IECs, like you said, the 50 or so of them. So if you listen to this show in Portland Oregon, I guarantee you there's probably one out there.

Speaker 3: 33:02

We got a chapter in Portland and that high school program that I just referenced. For the last two years I've been working with our Tampa greater Tampa area chapter. They're starting to implement that right now.

Speaker 1: 33:15

Yeah, my grandson, I think, is in that program. He's in high school. I don't want to say where, but it's in Hillsborough County and he was doing basic electrical classes in the high school. Now, for those who consider going back to school or maybe even starting a career in the trades, especially like the low voltage trade, what advice would you give them that's going to help them succeed in their journey for educational and beyond?

Speaker 3: 33:43

I'm going to break that up into two parts. If you know that, whether it be the electrical low voltage or any construction occupation, career, trade, work on getting your driver's license, that's the biggest barrier to our young people getting into the industry. We are in a portable industry, even if there's a metro, even if there's mass transportation. That is the biggest barrier. Again, every state's different. Maryland is significantly different than DC and Virginia and we've had to unfortunately, not accept some of our young people because they waited too long to get their driver's license. So make sure, if you're a young person, understand what the timelines are in order to obtain your driver's license. I don't understand it, but I wanted my driver's license as soon as I was able to get it.

Speaker 1: 34:47

That's not the case anymore, I was going to say, the mindset has changed, like when you and I are growing up. You know, especially because I grew up in Maryland, you could get your driver's license at 15 years and nine months and I was at the DMV on the exact day I turned 15 years and nine months. But there's been a mind shift change in today's generations. I'm not going to say if that's good or bad or indifferent, because you know our parents used to think our generation was stupid. Right, there's been a generational shift. Looking at driver's licenses and, as you mentioned, for those who don't understand what portability means, it means, yeah, the office might be located in Beltsville, maryland, but your job site might be in Chantilly, virginia. There's not a bus service that's going to take you from the company office to Chantilly most of the time Exactly, and that's why you need the driver's license. What was your second one? You said there was two.

Speaker 3: 35:39

So my second point is don't be afraid to ask questions. Love that. If you have family friends, ask them what they do for a living. Go out and shadow, yep. And I'll say for the construction industry I'll say, in the low voltage world and telecom maybe a little bit easier, but you're going to wake up early for the most part. But you're going to wake up early for the most part. So if you're not an early riser it may not be the right fit in traditional construction.

Speaker 1: 36:18

But that's a skill you can learn. Though that's a skill you can learn.

Speaker 3: 36:21

Absolutely. But think about all hospitals have electricians, all the school systems have electricians, all the colleges have electricians. All the school systems have electricians. All the colleges have electricians manufacturing facilities. Let's think back to COVID, right, we were talking about. There's going to be a huge surge. We have to have the hospitals ready to go. Well, every single hospital in the mid-Atlantic region that we cover, our members worked together in order to get the electricity that was needed to set up these temporary hospitals. We were essential personnel, yep. So you may not think about it, you may think just about construction side, but that's not the case anymore. We are responsible as an industry for making sure these things and the thing that we're on is powered. Guys and gals, we are responsible for that, so you're not necessarily gonna be out there on a new construction site. There's other opportunities in the electrical industry, and when I say electrical industry, I'm including the low voltage world, I'm including the telecom world, I'm including the renewable world. That's all centered upon one thing and that's electricity, yep.

Speaker 1: 37:52

Ohms law doesn't care if it's high voltage or low voltage, nope, it applies the same both ways. So if there's somebody listening to this show remember now I cover the whole United States. Actually, a lot of my audience is also outside of the country, but you might have somebody from Portland or somebody from Anaheim or somebody from Nebraska. If somebody's hearing all this great information and they want to look more into this whole training stuff, how do they get in touch with you or IEC?

Speaker 3: 38:20

Sure, I'll give you the IEC national website because that's a lot easier. It's wwwieciorg and then there's locate a chapter and you can simply determine if there's a chapter near you and if there's not, and if you're a individual that's looking to get into the industry, you can go on the website and fill out basically an interest form and they parcel that out, because I have several companies that are huge national companies that there may not be that chapter in, I don't even know where off the top of my head in a certain part of Maine I'll pick on Maine but that's why we developed the apprenticeship-apprenticeship program or the online program, because the companies go where the work is Absolutely, Absolutely.

Speaker 1: 39:21

Grant, thank you for coming on the show and talking to us about apprenticeship and training. Keep up the good work. Keep keep help changing this industry. I really appreciate all the work that you guys are doing.

Speaker 3: 39:31

Well, thank you so much, and you know we're all in it together and these jobs aren't being exported, that's for damn sure.

Speaker 1: 39:41

Yeah, they can't export that hospital to somewhere else, nope.

Speaker 4: 39:46

That's it for this episode of today's podcast. We hope you were able to learn something. Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on future content. Also, leave a rating so we can help even more people learn about telecommunications. Until next time, be safe.