NJATC And Thomas & Betts Collaborate On National Training

The following information is from a press released provided by the NJATC.
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In response to the anticipated demand for electrical workers, the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee for the Electrical Industry (NJATC) and Thomas & Betts Corporation have agreed to develop a joint national apprentice-training program. The agreement also establishes a framework for all Thomas & Betts (T&B) programs and initiatives serving the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), for which the NJATC is the national training organization, the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and the NJATC itself.

“Since my days as an apprentice and journeyman wiremen, more than 25 years ago, T&B has been a company that has stood for quality and excellence in every product that they have put their name on,” said NJATC Executive Director Michael Callanan. “I am so very pleased that this agreement formalizes a partnership that brings together two organizations committed to excellence in all they do and to the future of the electrical industry.”

The agreement expresses the mutual commitment of T&B and the NJATC to the following:

• Develop programs, including apprentice scholarships and equipment donations, to train the entry-level electrical workers by leveraging the unique capabilities and resources of both organizations;

• Establish for T&B an unprecedented level of access and exposure to IBEW and NECA apprentices and journeymen throughout their entire formal training and working careers, including continuing training;

• Develop a T&B-branded Grounding & Conductivity Academy to train all new IBEW entrants into the electrical industry with the latest equipment and technology; and

• Standardize and formalize all T&B programs and initiatives serving IBEW, NECA and NJATC under a master agreement and national program. 

“Thomas & Betts recognizes that the NJATC plays a significant role in the development of first-class electrical apprentices,” said David Kendall, director o industry affairs for T&B. “The immediate potential audience for this project will have in excess of 40,000 apprentices in training in more than 285 training centers in the United States and Canada. This agreement is an important collaboration of T&B, NJATC, their industry associates and training centers in the development of future electricians’ skills.

About Thomas & Betts. Thomas & Betts Corporation (NYSE:TNB) is a global leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of essential components used to manage the connection, distribution, transmission and reliability of electrical power in industrial, construction and utility applications. With a portfolio of over 200,000 products marketed under more than 45 premium brand names, Thomas & Betts products are found wherever electricity is used. Headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, Thomas & Betts reported revenues of $2.0 billion and had approximately 8,750 employees in 2010. For more information, please visit www.tnb.com.

About the NJATC. The NJATC is a nonprofit organization founded in 1941 by NECA and the IBEW. The organization is committed to developing and standardizing education in the electrical industry to properly and effectively train members of NECA and the IBEW; providing the electrical construction industry with the most highly trained and skilled workforce possible. Since its inception, more than 325,000 apprentices have completed NJATC training programs and become competent Journeymen, making the organization one of the largest training and apprenticeship programs of its kind. For more information, go to www.njatc.org.