LANHAM, MD-March 5, 2010-Students of electrical work in St. Mary's, Charles and Calvert counties in Maryland, met for the SkillsUSA Southern Regional residential wiring competition at the James A. Forrest Career and Tech Center in Leonardtown, MD on February 23^rd.

Alex Frederick of the Calvert County Career Center won the competition. He earned a 14-piece Klein tool kit as first prize and will go on to the Maryland state and possibly the national SkillsUSA competitions.

Competitors completed a written exam totaling 20 percent of the final score and prepared a residential wiring task that was laid out in typical drawings and specifications. Judges scored their work for accuracy, neatness, and safety, as well as specialized technical requirements.

The Electrical Alliance, a joint venture of the Washington, DC Chapter of National Electrical Contractors Association, (NECA) and Local Union 26 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) sponsored the event. The Washington DC Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC), which is funded by these two organizations, provided volunteer judges.

The judges were led by JATC Assistant Directors, Richard Murphy and Rhett Roe, and veteran electrical journeyman, Ina Smith. Second year electrical apprentices Tony Gagliano and Keith Stone, assisted the judges.

Stone graduated from James A. Forrest Career and Tech Center and is now employed by a Washington, DC-area electrical contractor. Upon completion of the five-year electrical apprenticeship program, he, as well as all other apprentices, will be a fully qualified journeymen electrician, earning up to $81,000 annually plus health benefits and retirement pensions.

Murphy said he enjoys judging because "the SkillsUSA competitions give the students an opportunity to test the waters before they commit to an electrical career."

The Electrical Alliance also sponsored the Northern Regional competition held on February 20^th at the Center of Applied Technology, North (CAT North) in Severn, MD including Anne Arundel County and Baltimore City. CAT North student Kenneth Vodusek won the Northern Region and also received a 14-piece Klein tool kit. His father is project manager for Potomac Testing Inc. 

Northern Region volunteer judges included Steve Howard, superintendant at J.E. Kelly and Sons, and Nick Schaefer and Alex Schaefer, both first year JATC apprentices. Nick Schaefer won the Northern Regional as well as the State residential wiring contests last year. The Alliance sponsored his trip to the National SkillsUSA competition held in Kansas City, MO where he placed fifth.

SkillsUSA operates partnerships between schools and employers that expose students to the real world of work before they commit to a full time adult career. It organizes and conducts competitions that enable the students to test their competency against their peers, furthering their drive and desire to succeed. Contests begin locally and continue through the state and national level. The final event is a multi-million dollar showcase that occupies a space equal to 16 football fields.

In 2009, more than 5,400 contestants competed in 91 events. Nearly 1,500 judges and contest organizers from labor and management make the national event possible. The philosophy of the championships is "to reward students for excellence, to involve industry in directly evaluating student performance and to keep training relevant to employers' needs."

The main electrical training center for the JATC is located in Lanham, MD with branches in Manassas and Roanoke, VA. The JATC also equipped and supports the electrical training center at North Point High School in Charles County, MD where it operates a satellite training classroom.

For information about careers in electrical trades, visit www.getchargedup.org. For details about the JATC apprentice training program and an online application, visit www.washdcjatc.org. For more about SkillsUSA, visit www.skillsusa.org.   

About The Electrical Alliance

The Electrical Alliance is a cooperative effort between electrical contractors and skilled craftsmen to provide quality products and services to customers and to set the standard for efficiency and productivity within the electrical industry. It is jointly sponsored by the National Electrical Contractors Association and Local 26, IBEW. To learn more, visit http://news.getchargedup.org or follow the Electrical Alliance on Twitter @dcelec_alliance. 

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The JATC provides training to electricians in the Washington, DC metropolitan and surrounding areas. It offers accredited three and five year programs where apprentices receive classroom and on-the-job training in electrical construction including an extensive alternative energy curriculum.

Accompanied by International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 26 Business Manager Chuck Graham; President Obama and Secretary of Energy, Dr. Steven Chu took a 30-minute tour of the electrical training facility. They viewed the AutoCAD, motor control, programmable logic controllers (PLC) and life safety labs while JATC instructors demonstrated how each area works and as well as how technology can conserve energy.

In the PLC lab, assistant JATC director, Ralph Neidert showed the President how variable frequency drives and power quality meters save the facility thousands of dollars on their energy bills. Rhett Roe, assistant JATC director made President Obama's day when he encouraged him to set off the fire alarm in the life safety lab.

"I was just mentioning that I got a chance to pull the first fire alarm since I was in junior high. And I didn't get in trouble for it," President Obama said later.

Sean Myers, director of special projects at the JATC and Kevin Burton, JATC instructor demonstrated the motor control and AutoCAD equipment. All of the instructors appreciated President Obama's comment that they were "right there" with Secretary Chu during the technical discussions.

During his remarks, the President noted, "This is an extraordinarily impressive facility, where workers are instructed on everything from the installation of sophisticated energy hardware and software to the basics of current and resistance. We need to look no further than the workers and apprentices who are standing behind me to see the future that's possible when it comes to clean energy."

JATC apprentices earn family sustaining wages for the classroom and on-the-job training and graduate with real industry experience and recognized credentials at no cost to the student.

The JATC is sponsored by the Washington, DC Chapter of National Electrical Contractors Association and IBEW Local 26. It graduates approximately 100 apprentices each year.

A video and transcript of the President's remarks can be found at the www.whitehouse.gov.

About The Electrical Alliance

The Electrical Alliance is a cooperative effort between electrical contractors and skilled craftsmen to provide quality products and services to customers and to set the standard for efficiency and productivity within the electrical industry. It is jointly sponsored by the National Electrical Contractors Association and Local 26, IBEW. To learn more, visit http://news.getchargedup.org or follow the Electrical Alliance on Twitter @dcelec_alliance.

Editor's Note: Photos of the tour are available at www.washdcjatc.org/news.

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The program annually recognizes the accomplishment of general contractors and subcontractors for their professional roles in the winning projects. Entries are judged by a panel of owners and construction professionals. The panel selects winning projects according to the quality of workmanship, project management, owner satisfaction, timeliness and safety.

Several Electrical Alliance contractors worked on these award-winning projects:

• Design/Build, GC Under $75 Million

HSU Development, National American History Museum Retail Renovations

Birckhead Electric

• Design/Build, GC $75 - $150 Million

John C. Grimberg Company, IED Laboratory at Naval Surface Warfare Center

J.E. Kelly & Sons Electrical Construction

• Design/Build, GC Over $150 Million

Turner Special Projects, KIPP DC Will Academy

Valid Electric

• Interior, GC $75 - $150 Million

John C. Grimberg Company, Quantico DEA Clandestine Lab Training Center

Hampton Electric

DPR Construction, Bank of America US Trust

Power Services

• Renovation/Restoration, GC Under $75 Million

P.J. Dick, Inc., George Mason University Patriot Center

Freestate Electrical Construction

• Renovation/Restoration, GC $75 - $150 Million

Skanska USA Building, Lincoln Memorial East Plaza Barrier System

Mona Electric Group

• Renovation/Restoration, GC $150 Million < $1 Billion

Forrester Construction Company, Fords' Theatre National Historic Site

NATELCO Corporation

• Renovation/Restoration, GC Over $1 Billion

Hensel Phelps Construction Company, Historic DC Court of Appeals

Singleton Electric

MERIT AWARD

• New Construction, GC $75 - $150 Million

Pierce Associates (Mechanical Subcontractor), FDA Center for Devices & Radiological Health Office Bldg

Dynalectric Company

• New Construction, GC Over $150 Million

Clark Construction Group, 300 New Jersey Avenue NW

Mona Electric Group

James G. Davis Construction Corporation, 1100 First Street NE

J.E. Richards Electric

• Interior, GC Over $150 Million

Turner Interior, RTC Relationship Marketing

NATELCO Corporation

• Renovation/Restoration, GC $75 Million - $150 Million

Tetra Tech FC, Ft. McNair Modernization & Repairs - Bldgs 61 & 61A

Mona Electric Group

MERIT AWARD

• Renovation/Restoration, GC $150 Million < $1 Billion

Gilbane Building Company, George Mason Univ. Recreation & Athletic Complex

Power Services

• Renovation/Restoration, GC Over $1 Billion

Clark Construction Group, 1200 19th Street NW

Pel-Bern Electric

SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

• Best Sustainable New Construction Project

Clark Construction Group, Lafayette Tower

Dynalectric Company

• Best Sustainable Interior Project

James G. Davis Construction Corporation, US Green Building Council HQ

J.E. Richards Electric

Mona Electrical Group earned Best Subcontractor of the Year Award.

Birckhead Electric, Freestate Electrical Construction, Hampton Electric Company

J.E. Richards Electrical Construction, J.E. Kelly & Sons Electrical Construction, NATELCO Corporation, Pel-Bern Electric, and Singleton Electric were also nominated for the Best Subcontractor of the Year Award.

About The Electrical Alliance

The Electrical Alliance is a cooperative effort between union electrical contractors and skilled craftsmen to provide quality products and services to customers and to set the standard for efficiency and productivity within the electrical industry. It is jointly sponsored by the National Electrical Contractors Association and Local 26, IBEW. For more information visit, http://news.getchargedup.org or www.electricalalliance.org. Follow Electrical Alliance on Twitter @DCElec_Alliance.

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Read the complete article here http://www.washdcjatc.org/news.cfm/newsArticleId=42.

The Washington Building Congress represents the interests of more than 1,000 companies from all facets of the real estate, design and construction industry. Each year since 1950, it honors the superior work of craftsmen through the Craftsmanship Awards. Over 8,500 craftsmen have been recognized for their craftsmanship in over 2,500 winning projects.

The electrical category awards are based on work in power generation, distribution and switchgear installations as well as lighting, telecommunications, and fire alarm systems.

Electrical Alliance award winners in the lighting systems category include:

• Mona Electric Group for work at 51 Louisiana Avenue
• J.E. Richards for work at the W Hotel (Formerly Hotel Washington)
• Singleton Electric Company for work at DC Court of Appeals
• T.A. Beach Corp. for work at the Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center
• Power Solutions for work at Inpatient Tower Fitout
• J.E. Richards for work at the Eisenhower Theatre
• J.E. Richards for work at 1801 K Street, NW

Award winners in the Power Generation, Distribution and Switchgear category include:

• Truland Systems Corporation for work at the New Campus East - Central Utility Plant
• Dynalectric Company for work at New Campus East - Technology Center
• Young Electrical Contractors for work at POD-3 Renovation
• Truland-Walker Seal jv for work on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Traction Power Upgrade Program
• Freestate Electrical Construction Company for work at the National Institutes of Health: CIT Building No.12 - Infrastructure Upgrade - Phase 1
• Natelco Corporation for work at Anonymous Data Center UPS Replacement
• Singleton Electric Company, Inc. for work on Arlington County Water Pollution Control Panel
• Power Solutions for work at Amazon.com IAD6 Pod7
• J.E. Richards for work at IBM-NCEP Phase 4

Award winners in Special Systems category include:

• Freestate Electrical Construction Company for work at Goodwin House Bailey's Crossroads
• Mona Electric Group for work at Columbia Square
• Mona Electric Group for work at the Willard Intercontinental
• Dynalectric Company for work on a Recovery Project

"Our craftsmen have once again shown that intense training and adherence to quality standards results in the best work for complex projects around Maryland, DC and Virginia," says Albert Winfield, Electrical Alliance trustee and president, Washington, DC Chapter of National Electrical Contractors Association.

For more information about the Craftsmanship Awards, visit www.wbcnet.org/craftshomepage.htm

About The Electrical Alliance

The Electrical Alliance is a cooperative effort between union electrical contractors and skilled craftsmen to provide quality products and services to customers and to set the standard for efficiency and productivity within the electrical industry. It is jointly sponsored by the National Electrical Contractors Association and Local 26, IBEW. For more information visit, http://news.getchargedup.org or www.electricalalliance.org. Follow Electrical Alliance on Twitter @DCElec_Alliance.

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UPPER MARLBORO, MD NOVEMBER 4, 2009-Electrical Alliance contractor, Kelly Electrical, has been selected by prime contractor Standard Solar to install all wiring and grid-tied electrical connections for a new solar photovoltaic power generating system at the Catholic University of America (CUA).

With completion scheduled for December 2009, the installation will be the largest solar generating system in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, with over 1,000 solar panels and a capacity of 300kW. The four campus buildings receiving solar systems are Flather Hall, DuFour Athletic Center, Aquinas Hall, and Gibbons Hall.

Catholic University has entered a Power Purchase Agreement with Washington Gas Energy Services, who is providing the capital and who will own the system. CUA has agreed to purchase the entire solar electrical output at a reduced cost. This model is one commonly used in the western USA. Other facility owners and managers will find this to be an attractive method of procuring clean, renewable energy on a large scale without the need for large capital investment.

Last December, Kelly Electrical completed the installation of their own solar photovoltaic generating system at their offices in Upper Marlboro, MD. The system, in continuous operation since January 2009 and one of the largest in Maryland with a capacity of 149.5kW, produces approximately 60% of Kelly's annual electrical power needs. The system saves Kelly money while demonstrating environmental responsibility and leadership.

Kelly Electrical is currently working with many industry professionals to create renewable energy projects. The firm also installed wiring for a demonstration solar generating project at John Phillip Sousa Middle School in Washington, D.C., and recently completed the micro-grid installation for US Dept. of Energy's prestigious Solar Decathlon 2009 on the National Mall.

About The Electrical Alliance

The Electrical Alliance is a cooperative effort between electrical contractors and skilled craftsmen to provide quality products and services to customers and to set the standard for efficiency and productivity within the electrical industry. It is jointly sponsored by the National Electrical Contractors Association and Local 26, IBEW. For more information, please visit www.electricalalliance.org and visit the news site at http://news.electricalalliance.org.

About John E. Kelly & Sons Electrical Construction

Headquartered in Upper Marlboro, MD, John E. Kelly & Sons Electrical Construction, Inc. is a family owned electrical contracting firm serving the Washington, DC metropolitan area, providing quality electrical service for over 25 years. For more information on the firm, refer to the company's website at  www.kellycos.com.

WASHINGTON, DC- October 29, 2009 - The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) raised the bar for energy savings thanks in part to the lighting system at its new headquarters. Electrical Alliance contractor J.E. Richards Electrical spent four months installing a Convia lighting control system at the DC headquarters.

"Others will follow the USGBC's example, so the system we installed provides a comfortable work environment while aggressively managing energy consumption," explained Ray Gemmill, project manager at J.E. Richards.

The system conserves energy in the 75,000 square-foot office space in several ways

• Harvesting sensors measure the amount of natural light in a room and dim the lights accordingly
• Motion detectors monitor movement in the room and turn off the lights during periods of inactivity
• A photo cell on the roof controls the window shades to allow more or less natural light
• Global gateway monitors allow the building manager to control the lighting system from anywhere on earth

It also conserves energy used by computers. Special computer receptacles that operate on a timer so that computers do not run at night or other off-peak times.

This was the first lighting control system that J.E. Richards installed. The crew installed the system from Convia shop drawings they customized into a unique configuration. The project involved an intense amount of wiring to link the lights to the monitoring systems and controls.

"The most exciting day of the project was the day I could control the entire system from my iphone," recalled Dave Edwards who oversaw daily operations on the project.

The USGBC will monitor exactly how much energy it saves. Sixteen meters measure electricity savings. Additionally, the electricity meters ties to the HVAC meters to create a complete energy management system.

Buildings are some of the nation's largest consumers of energy. Lighting management systems can earn up to eight points toward Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ratings.

About The Electrical Alliance

The Electrical Alliance is a cooperative effort between electrical contractors and skilled craftsmen to provide quality products and services to customers and to set the standard for efficiency and productivity within the electrical industry. It is jointly sponsored by the National Electrical Contractors Association and Local 26, IBEW. For more information, please visit www.electricalalliance.org and visit the news site at http://news.getchargedup.org.

About J.E. Richards

Born in 1983, J.E. Richards Electric, Inc. is licensed as a Class A Electrical Contractor in the State of Virginia and as an Electrical Contractor in 12 jurisdictions in the state of Maryland and the District of Columbia. Over the past twenty five years, J.E. Richards has earned an honored reputation in our industry for providing superior electrical services to our clients in a wide variety of industries including entertainment, manufacturing, retail, education, government, healthcare, and financial services. Most recently, J.E. Richards has become part of Phalcon Ltd. and enjoys a partnership with those sister companies in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey. Visit www.jerichards.com for more information.

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LANHAM, MD- October 2, 2009- National Solar Decathlon competitors are getting aid from local electrical apprentices and licensed electricians. The Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committee's (JATC) team of experienced professionals is providing the 20 teams with electrical services on an as-needed basis.

Six apprentices and two instructors will provide the on-site manpower during the set up period, October 1^st through October 5^th. They ensure that both the American and European structures are compliant with national and local electrical codes. They will also connect the homes to a micro-grid that both pulls power from PEPCO as needed and provides excess power that the homes generate back to PEPCO.

The JATC oversees education and training of electrical and telecommunications apprentices in metro Washington, DC. Part of its training includes renewable energy sources such as solar power.

"Our involvement in the Decathlon is a win-win. The competitors get the electrical help they need and our students get real world experience working with solar systems," said Sean Myers, director of special projects at the JATC.

The JATC values its contribution of manpower to the 2009 Solar Decathlon at $16,000-$20,000. In 2007, the JATC sponsored two teams and provided set up manpower.

The JATC provides training to electricians in the Washington, DC metropolitan and surrounding areas. It offers its accredited three and five year programs in its state-of-the-art facilities, where successful applicants are paid family sustaining wages for classroom and on-the-job training in electrical construction including an extensive alternative energy curriculum. Participants graduate with real industry experience and recognized, transferable credentials at no cost to the student.

The JATC is sponsored by the National Electrical Contractors Association and Local 26, IBEW. More information is available at www.washdcjatc.org.

About The Electrical Alliance

The Electrical Alliance is a cooperative effort between electrical contractors and skilled craftsmen to provide quality products and services to customers and to set the standard for efficiency and productivity within the electrical industry. It is jointly sponsored by the National Electrical

Contractors Association and Local 26, IBEW. To learn more visit, http://media.getchargedup.org.

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LANHAM, MD- September 18, 2009- Electricians working in the Washington, DC area can now earn a North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) Certificate of Knowledge thanks to a renewable energy course offered by the Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC). The Certificate signifies an electrician's ability to work on photovoltaic systems at an entry level.

The JATC, the organization that oversees education and training of electrical and telecommunications apprentices in our area, is one of only a handful of NABCEP Certificate of Knowledge Test sites in metro Washington.

"We decided to become a test site because electricians are uniquely qualified to perform photovoltaic work, explains David McCord, director of the JATC. "The actual renewable energy training is obviously critically important, but we also want our journeyman electricians to earn industry standard certification so that their training is recognized by the contractors who hire them as well as their customers."

According to NABCEP, any accredited university, college, community college, vocational-technical institute, or Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committee can offer the Certificate of Knowledge program. Courses are required to have an interactive teacher-learner structure and must provide students with the necessary information covering the NABCEP-issued learning objectives.

The JATC's Renewable Energy Theory and Application course educates journeyman electricians on renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic systems; solar thermal; residential and commercial energy efficiency; electrical vehicle charging stations; wind; geothermal; hydro; and cogeneration. Upon completion of the 42-hour course, students are eligible to take the NABCEP Certificate of Knowledge test.

"Having the certificate of knowledge lets general contractors know that we are qualified and have dedicated training to ensure that Electrical Alliance contractors are adequately prepared," says Tom Myers, JATC renewable energy course instructor.

The JATC is jointly funded by the Local No. 26 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and Washington, D.C. Chapter of National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). In addition to continuing education, it offers three and five-year apprenticeships. Program details can be found at www.washdcjatc.org.

About The Electrical Alliance

The Electrical Alliance is a cooperative effort between electrical contractors and skilled craftsmen to provide quality products and services to customers and to set the standard for efficiency and productivity within the electrical industry. It is jointly sponsored by the National Electrical Contractors Association and Local 26, IBEW. To learn more visit, http://media.getchargedup.org.

LANHAM, MD- September 1, 2009- The Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC) launched a new Web site that educates people about careers in electrical construction and the electrical and telecommunications apprenticeship program.

The Washington region's electrical industry will continue to require more skilled workers to meet its green building and smart technology demands; which was a motive for the JATC to create www.washdcjatc.org. Despite the economic downturn, the industry is still recruiting for high-paying, skilled electricians.

"We needed a fresh way to impart career information so we turned to the latest Web applications," said David McCord, director of the JATC. "The result is that site users get real insider information about the program in a format that will appeal to the younger demographic of people who typically apply."

The site's capabilities reflect the JATC's ability to stay on top of current trends. It features videos, blogs written by current apprentices, current class schedules, an online application and much more in an environment that is easy for users to navigate.

"The site was developed with a user-friendly content management system, so as technology evolves, the JATC can easily add new features and tools without having to start from scratch," explained the site's designer, Evan Mann, creative director at Frost Miller Group.

The JATC electrical apprenticeship program is available to anyone in the metro counties of Maryland, D.C., and Northern Virginia as well as central and southwestern Virginia. Those interested may obtain details at www.washdcjatc.org.

The JATC is sponsored by Local 26 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association. It currently graduates about 100 apprentices a year from three and five-year programs.

The JATC partnered with Bethesda, Maryland-based marketing communications firm, Frost Miller Group and Arlington, Virginia-based web development firm, Corporate Zen to create the site.

About The Electrical Alliance

The Electrical Alliance is a cooperative effort between electrical contractors and skilled craftsmen to provide quality products and services to customers and to set the standard for efficiency and productivity within the electrical industry. It is jointly sponsored by the National Electrical

Contractors Association and Local 26, IBEW. To learn more visit, http://media.getchargedup.org.

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