Northern Colorado Career Fair to address severe shortage of electricians

Employment opportunities for electricians are growing faster than the average for all occupations in the U.S. Colorado’s building boom in homes and businesses up and down the Front Range require more wiring, electrical power, and systems automation including communications, lighting and control systems. Yet many employers report difficulty finding qualified applicants.

To help address the great need as well as provide opportunities for aspiring electricians, the Independent Electrical Contractors Rocky Mountain (IECRM) will host a Career Fair on Thursday, September 29 from 12 – 3 p.m. at its new training facility in Fort Collins. IECRM’s new Northern Colorado Campus serves the Front Range corridor from Boulder to Cheyenne WY and is located at 912 Smithfield Drive in Fort Collins.

At the Career Fair, participants will meet prospective employers and will be able to take advantage of the occasion to talk with them about job opportunities, needs, training, IECRM’s apprentice programs and financial benefits. Attending and exhibiting will be top-notch companies with many job openings in the electrical, energy and construction industry. Onsite interviews will be available for a variety of jobs from apprentices and journeymen to project managers and sales & marketing.

IECRM offers apprenticeship training and continuing education programs to support education in the residential, commercial and industrial aspects of the industry, including basic electrical theory and practices, safety, new electric code regulations and changes, motor control and system applications, and other required certifications and skills needed in the profession.

“Our training provides job skills that will last a lifetime and provide a living wage, while simultaneously increasing the supply of electricians needed,” said Marilyn Stansbury, CEO of IECRM. “Military veterans, women and minorities are encouraged to attend the career fair for job opportunities within the electrical industry. And, IECRM provides classroom instruction while apprentices are employed full time and receiving on-the-job training in the industry.”

Demand for new electricians in the next decade is projected to double the national baseline, creating instant and reliable job security. As a career, electrical contracting ensures life-long learning for new methods, regulations, code changes and technology. “It is a field where high quality, good work is rewarded, paying more than average jobs in other trade sectors,” said Stansbury.