Akron: News Releases 2003: APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING PROGRAM CELEBRATES FIRST ANNIVERSARY

City of Akron
News Releases

Date: May 14, 2003
Contact: Mark Williamson (willima@ci.akron.oh.us)

330-375-2538
Fax: 330-375-2335

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APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING PROGRAM CELEBRATES FIRST ANNIVERSARY

Mayor Don Plusquellic joined the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers for his weekly news conference today to celebrate the IBEW’s one-year anniversary in its new location. Located in the Coventry Joint Economic Development of Akron, the IBEW headquarters and state-of-the-art apprenticeship training center was a nearly $3 million investment by the trade organization.

The IBEW headquarters is a business success story. The training center is a non-profit corporation that in this past year has trained 130 apprentices and 450 journeymen. That is three times more than projected when the facility was opened.

Mayor Plusquellic said, "This is

IBEW HQ (click to enlarge)

obviously a real benefit to work force development in our region when we can train upward of 600 men and women in a year in a valuable and much needed trade."

Larry Thompson, chairman of the Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee told reporters that at the time they did this project in partnership with the City of Akron, the IBEW could have moved anywhere from its previous location in Akron. "We wanted to stay in this area, but needed more space," said Thompson, of Thompson Electric. "This was a perfect fit for us, and we could not have done it without the help of the mayor and his staff."

Plusquellic added, "We wanted them to stay in the area, so we worked to provide them with space in our JEDD so they could have their headquarters and training center all in one on this six-acre-plus parcel."

The apprenticeship and journeyman training program is a consortium between the JATC and the National Electrical Contractors Union.

END