• Posted: January 12, 2022
• Apprentice, Apprenticeship Program, Chris Brieschke, IBEW-NECA Technical Institute, IDEAL National Championship, IN-TECH

You’d be hard-pressed to find an electrical apprentice that’s more dedicated to professional excellence than second-year IN-Tech apprentice Chris Brieschke from Frankfort, Illinois. Chris knew he wanted to be an electrician since he was just a little tyke, following in the footsteps of his grandfather who was a superintendent at McCormick Place. In fact, it was Chris’s drive to start his electrical career that motivated him to graduate from high school early.

“I actually had to take a semester of English, a semester of math and two semesters of civics in a week to get my diploma and to take my test. So I stayed up for like 12 hours every day to get it done,” said Chris.

But the late nights didn’t bother Chris. He was able to graduate early and take his first test as a trainee at 17-years-old. 

That’s when his interest in the IDEAL National Championship for elite tradesmen began. His dream of participating in the competition came true in 2021 when he joined the team competition with his partner Will Barnett of IBEW Local 117. 

Chris and Will progressed through the qualifying rounds and made it to the big stage, the national championship. At nationals, the teams competition consists of two-person teams, one pro and one apprentice, all aiming to take home the top prize of $40,000. The team competition consisted of two rounds. There were 10 teams total, and only three teams advanced to the second round. While the individual competitions had different challenges for the different rounds, the team competition challenge stayed the same. What teams piped and pulled in the first round, the top three qualifying teams finished in the second round. Both rounds were only an hour in duration, making it a fast and furious competition that was complicated by the fact that Chris and Will had only met three times before nationals, once when they qualified, once at Will’s house and once at the airport.

“Will asked me to come help him rough in his house so we’d see how we worked together and I came to help,” said Chris. “I never worked with him before that, so I was going into this about as blind as I possibly could.”

In a profession where your team can make or break your work, Chris’s approach of matching his workstyle to that of his foreman made a winning match in Nashville.

“I’m going to do what’s normal for that journeyman or that foreman so that I don’t change their plan. So if I move something and I’m not there the next day, I’m basically copying and pasting the way they would do it. That way, if they see a little trace of something, their mind would just shoot right to it. And they go, boom, there it is,” said Chris. 

After winning the competition, Will acknowledged Chris’s efficient way of working and ability to follow direction as a key reason for their success. 

As winners of the team competition, Will and Chris split $40,000. Additionally, IN-Tech will receive $5,000 of IDEAL cash and Will’s employer will receive the same. Chris’s plan for his prize money is perfectly in line with his responsible and future-focused personality. 

“I would like to invest most of it, but then save a little bit, so I just kind of cushion myself. Down the road, I’ll probably use it to build my first house,” said Chris.

Beyond that, Chris aspires to compete in next year’s IDEAL National Championship in Tampa, Florida, and to continue on the path to become a journeyman wireman. 

When asked about his future career goals, Chris’s answer is as salt of the earth as he is.

“I just want to perfect quality work and be known for the quality work—t’s crossed and i’s dotted.”

“IN-Tech provides the best teachers for learning our trade as electricians and I would like to thank those teachers for their hard work in teaching our craft. I’m also very appreciative of Mr. Kent and Mr. Taylor for assisting me in sourcing and learning extra valuable knowledge for my competition,” Chris said. “I believe that the apprenticeship competition that I was a part of and won 2nd place before the IDEAL National Championship was extremely helpful in understanding my skills and weaknesses to overcome the competition. IN-Tech provides a ‘Harvard Level of Education’ when it comes to training the next generation of electrical workers.”

With his track record of professional excellence, and his humble, hard-working approach, there’s no doubt he’ll achieve whatever goals he sets for himself.