Page 39 - CCD Magazine - Winter-Spring 2019 Issue

Why 2019 Will Be Pivotal for Electrical Contractors The Technology & Innovation Conduit to the Future Independent Electrical Contractors Rocky Mountain Ever since Benjamin Franklin went outside with his kite during a thunderstorm and discovered the connection between lightning and electricity, its power has ruled the world. We depend on electricity for things all around us and our dependence on the “power of power” continues to bring new uses. The reality of these new innovations is that we will not use less power tomorrow than we do today; we will use it more efficiently and in different ways but we will not use less. Most, if not all, consumers see an electrical outlet, a light switch, an appliance, a high definition television, a gasoline or diesel pump station, a self-service car wash, a hospital trauma center, a digital highway sign, a lit building or even the screen on their smartphone or computer and don’t think about the energy that is driving it. An electrician sees much more. They see what is behind the wall; how everything is connected; what’s in the box; the way the power switches; what it transforms; the voltage, current and resistance - the complex mathematical relationship that generates the energy -- and the electrician understands the physics behind it. Electricians are among the first-to-arrive personnel at a construction job site to ensure that power is flowing to support construction operations. Lighting, HVAC, and a myriad of other systems rely on electrical power to be in place. In homes and workplaces, electrical connectivity is crucial to many other essential functions like cooking, refrigeration, lighting, charging stations, integration with solar energy, and the operation of elevators, escalators, security alarms and personal computers. Only when we are without power, and generators are engaged, do most of us recognize the impact electricity has on our daily lives. Anyone who has been through a natural disaster - tornado, hurricane, flood - knows that electricians are also among the first responders to help get communities back up and running. Not just the high voltage line workers deployed to restore power but the commercial, industrial and residential electricians who arrive on scene to reconnect power lost in restaurants, hotels, homes and hospitals to facilitate recovery efforts. Electricians are problem solvers and artists; the need for this talent translates into career security and living wages for electrical contracting well into the future. The greatest challenge to electrical contracting today is the accelerating demand for talent due to growth, innovation, and retirements of experienced professionals. With the need for talent on the rise, the industry is looking for motivated individuals to train and develop as the next generation electrician. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR? Independent Electrical Contractors - Rocky Mountain (IECRM) reaches out to schools, parents, industry, and the community to create awareness about the opportunities in the electrical industry to change the perception of what is required and what it means to be an electrician. “We see it as a professional occupation in the same way that finance, medical, insurance and legal professions pursue continuing education to keep up with changes in requirements, regulations, standards and technology impacting their industries,” says Marilyn Akers Stansbury, CEO of IECRM. With electrician retirements on the rise, the need is great for new, skilled workers in the trade. “We train the next generation electrician for the electrical industry demands of the future by forecasting what’s happening in the industry,” says Paul Lingo, IECRM’s Director of Training. “Through our relationships with contractor members and industry partners of our association, we adapt our curriculum to what those future needs look like.” Often this includes keeping pace with significant changes in technology that impacts the construction industry and our Colorado Construction & Design | 39