IEC Florida West Coast Class of 2021

The Independent Electrical Contractors’ Class of 2021 Enter Job Market with Job Security & NO DEBT

Generation Unemployed and She-Cession vs. Guaranteed Jobs and No College Debt

Tampa FL, May 17 – On Friday, May 21, the Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) of West Florida will honor the men and women who have completed IEC’s required four-year apprenticeship training program. The ceremony will be held at the Tampa Convention Center at 5:00 p.m. that day. RaeShawn Crosson, IEC’s Interim CEO, will deliver the keynote commencement address. All graduates have a job, zero post-secondary education debt, and rigorous training in safety on-the-job.

The job market is starting to roar back, but for anxious college seniors it’s a different reality altogether. It is well known that many are struggling to find jobs and are carrying mountains of college debt.  “The electrical contracting industry, deemed essential throughout the pandemic, represents a stable, sustainable opportunity for all job seekers,” says Crosson. “In fact, our industry sector has a critical shortage of workers, pushing wages higher in the skilled trades and making these jobs even more attractive.” 

Natasha Sherwood, president of the Florida Apprenticeship Association, says, “Apprenticeship programs in Florida are now becoming not just an alternative to college but an equal option. Floridians are seeing the opportunity to earn while they learn without incurring crippling debt all while creating an essential career that will serve them for years to come.”  She continues, “We have all become aware of what is truly essential and what is not. We have apprentices coming to our programs from all walks of life – some with college degrees, some from established careers, some from military and some straight out of high school turning down college for a career in industries that promise not only steady work but fulfilling work that is well respected, well compensated and much needed.” 

Across the U.S, 27% of skilled workers with licenses or certificates earn more than those with bachelor’s degrees. Electricians are at the top in terms of earning power. * Yet high school graduates have been so effectively encouraged to get a bachelor’s degree that these high-paid jobs requiring shorter and less expensive training are going unfilled.  This affects those students and impacts the economy across the U.S. 

The electrical contracting sector represents a stable, sustainable opportunity for all job seekers: graduating high school students, military vets, women, minorities, and people seeking to make a career change.

IEC offers careers in electrical contracting that are more than just working at a jobsite.  “Electrical contracting and renewable energy offer job security,” says Crosson. “This is not a boring or mundane field.  Recent technology evolutions combined with the push for climate friendly renewable energy and the increased electrification of buildings and transportation make the start of the new decade one of the most exciting times ever to be an electrical contractor.”

Smart Buildings and homes, drones, artificial intelligence, 5G, 3D Building Information Modeling, image recognitions, prefabrication and advanced levels of workplace safety technology are rapidly evolving. “This new, evolving technology is the sexy part of the business and one that IEC trains its students to understand and use,” she adds. 

Conventional wisdom says we cannot function in a world without electricity.  “This translates into career security and living wages well into the future,” Crosson emphasizes. “There is no question that electricians power this new world. We power people’s lives. We power our quality of life. And electricians power the forces and infrastructure of strength, vitality, safety, and security for us all.”

*Source: US Department of Education