• Posted: February 2, 2020
• better careers, Construction Technology, NEMA, One Chicago Square, Wanda Vista

The past 12 months have been marked by exponential growth for the unionized electrical industry in metro Chicago. From soaring high-rises downtown to sprawling data centers dotting the city’s suburbs, the completion of the remodel at the IBEW/NECA Technical Institute in Alsip, IL, and more, the Chicagoland electrical industry is on the rise.

In 2019, Powering Chicago electricians and contractors worked on some of the city’s top construction projects, including landmark skyscrapers like Wanda Vista, NEMA, and the beginnings of One Chicago Square. Thanks in part to the experience our members brought to each job site and the reliability of their work, each project has helped reinvent the city’s skyline and are sure to remain staples in Chicago for decades to come.

Data centers in the Chicago suburbs, where miles of cables must be expertly installed to ensure proper connectivity, are driving telecommunications advances and data storage improvements for countless businesses. Without Powering Chicago’s members, every one of the companies that rely on data processed in these centers would suffer. Countless other residential, commercial, and industrial maintenance and new construction projects throughout Cook County were also completed safely, on time, and on budget in 2019 thanks to Powering Chicago contractors and electricians.

As we turn the page to 2020, we are particularly enthusiastic about Powering Chicago’s future. Through the quality of their work, our members have long demonstrated the value of hiring skilled electricians and contractors, but what the unionized electrical industry delivers in Chicagoland is so much more. It’s better construction, better careers and better communities. Here’s what we mean: 

Better Construction. Better construction is a promise we make to our customers, and it begins the minute a first-year apprentice steps into the classroom at the IBEW/NECA Technical Institute. The experience, safety, training, and reliability we bring to every job is the result of an intensive five-year apprenticeship program and ongoing learning during the duration of our members’ careers.

Nowhere else will our customers find the level of dedication and commitment to safety that we deliver. Our electricians and on-site contractors comply with the strictest OSHA safety standards to ensure every job is done right the first time.

Looking ahead to 2020, Illinois is set to significantly invest in renewable energy and energy storage, and our members are uniquely positioned to lead the way. We deploy the latest grid mapping technologies and our contractors are continuously mastering new software to ensure projects meet deadlines and budgets. Whether it’s solar, data or soaring skyscrapers, our commitment to better construction has never been stronger.

Better Careers. Joining Powering Chicago isn’t just a career, but a lifetime filled with the support of brothers and sisters who will invest in your development. Generations of IBEW electricians have paved the way for the current generation and those currently training at the IBEW/NECA Technical Institute will one day pay it back to the next generation. A career with Powering Chicago means investing in yourself through nonstop education and training.

Few industries allow you to begin as an apprentice and have a realistic chance of owning your own company, but that’s the exact path many of our electrical contractors have taken. To fully understand the electrical industry, many of our contractors began as IBEW Local 134 apprentices and worked their way through training to become a journeyperson. From there, the opportunities are limitless.

One example of the potential that exists for our members to shape their careers is our partnership with IIT. Night classes provide those who aspire to one day work for an electrical contractor as a project manager or estimator to continue their education and gain the skills they need to advance. Another example is our partnership with Chicago’s Daley College where our members have the opportunity to explore an associate’s degree within the electrical field at a reduced cost. The opportunities are truly endless with a career in the electrical industry.

Better Communities. Better communities matter to us because our electricians and contractors don’t just work in Cook County, they live here too. When Powering Chicago members are giving back to the community, they’re not just helping Cook County residents, they’re helping their neighbors.

In April, Powering Chicago will once again participate in Rebuild Together Metro Chicago, a day-long effort to give back to those in need in some of Chicago’s most high-need neighborhoods. Each year, Powering Chicago, along with other building trades, donates time and materials to bring homes up to code. In 2019, we serviced nearly 75 homes in Englewood and Chicago Heights to ensure residents had proper heating and electricity. This year, we’ll be back in those same neighborhoods lending a hand to our neighbors to ensure they have what’s needed to live comfortably and without fear of the many dangers associated with poor electrical work.

Last year, Powering Chicago also opened its doors to host the Electric Association’s 28^th annual holiday party for the homeless and the SOS Children’s Village annual holiday party. Thanks in part to the new IBEW Local 134 Union Hall, organizations in need of space now have a gleaming option in the city’s Bronzeville neighborhood to host annual events. We look forward to hosting many more charitable events in 2020 and continuing to find ways to strengthen the communities we call home.

Moving forward, you’ll see and hear far more about how we’re delivering on our promise of better construction, better careers and better communities. This work matters, and we want everyone in Chicagoland to know it.