The non-residential construction boom currently being experienced in most of the country is almost a case of being careful about what you wish for. This period has amplified the shortage of skilled construction workers, including specialty trades like electrical contractors.

In order to expand our work force, the industry is opening up more avenues and opportunities to involve new people in the industry. Special events around the country help put prospective employees in direct contact with National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) contractors, while new worker classifications are helping our contractors meet their customers' needs. NECA also has close to 300 training facilities nationwide in order to quickly connect prospective electricians with the necessary apprenticeship training.

In addition to growth, attrition is the primary factor affecting the electrical construction work force. Many workers will reach retirement age in the next five to 10 years. And make no mistake – electrical construction is hard work, often done in tight, uncomfortable conditions. Just imagine the outside line contractors who did the high-voltage power restoration work following Hurricane Katrina and last winter's blizzards in the Northeast. Crews are usually standing by just outside of a storm's reach, waiting for the immediate danger to pass so they can go to work.

Line contractors are some of NECA's busiest members these days. I often hear about line contractors turning down new projects because they don't have the manpower. Again, this is a blessing and a burden.

It’s a blessing because it means our nation has finally realized that our economy can't continue to grow while relying on an outdated and under-maintained electrical grid, and a burden because the years of neglect have added up significantly.

Lead and They Will Follow
So how do we handle the burden of training new line workers and inside electricians to perform this vital work? For more than 70 years, NECA contractors have participated in joint apprenticeship training with our labor partners. The program was created to both standardize the training offered and ensure that the training was in line with customers' needs. We are re-examining our approach to apprenticeships and training in order to train workers more thoroughly and faster. In some areas, we are experimenting with pre-training and block training to make sure workers are as productive as possible on the first day on the job site.

The electrical construction industry has become much more complex. A journeyman wireman can no longer be considered a skilled expert in all facets of the trade. We are exploring options for core training in craft basics, and then specialty training beyond that.

We are advancing our craft certification program, something many construction owners are asking for. And we're developing more online training options and improving our training methods overall.

Progress is also being made to recruit new applicants into our work force. We start by giving information about industry opportunities to high school career counselors and students, and we reach out to other workers who are ready to advance their careers or shift to a more dynamic field. We make a point of meeting these potential employees where they are by capitalizing on the skills and experience they already have, and setting them up with the advanced hands-on training they need to work for our electrical contractors.

Filling the Gaps
We're also addressing a shortage of new construction managers in our industry. There's a need for talented, young professionals who understand project management and estimating. Some electrical contractors are now offering internships and co-op education programs for college students, with the promise of full-time employment when the student finishes his or her degree in construction management, engineering or a related field. It's paying off. Students are getting first-hand experience in a field they maybe hadn't considered, and the contractors are developing new project managers.

We also need more construction managers because project designs are coming out of engineers and architects' offices with fewer specifications than ever before. Contractors are not only product installers, they are also filling in the design gaps for electrical and communication systems, specifying products and working with suppliers to get the best value for the customer.

Much of this progress can be attributed to the industry's move toward design/build construction. Since the latest MasterFormat standards break out much of a project's electrical works into separate standards, owners and general contractors today need the resources a full-service electrical contractor can offer. This means that electrical contractors coordinate all the necessary electrical work on any project.

It's certainly in the customer's best interest to stay with a single point of responsibility, rather than breaking it up into a lot of different bid packages. A customer shouldn't have to deal with six different specialty or technical contractors on a project, and in most cases, doesn’t want to. Design/build projects further facilitate this process.

The promise of working on innovative and exciting projects is another reason we're able to draw new talent into electrical construction. Buildings today are defined by their electrical and mechanical systems, as much as by their design and materials. To the user, a building's environment is shaped by lighting, climate control and communication networks. The heart and brain of a building are its internal systems.

Integrated building systems that utilize low-voltage technology to link communications, climate-control, lighting, and security systems together have gained popularity as building owners look for ways to control operating and maintenance costs, while offering fully integrated systems that can talk to each other.

And since the smallest power interruption can mean thousands of hours and millions of dollars worth of lost data, many commercial and industrial builders are opting for on-site back-up power systems.

A Green Future
In today's eco-conscious marketplace, it's important to note that buildings have more environmental impact than automobiles. Future electrical construction managers certainly have an important role in the burgeoning green movement around the world. I recently heard from a professor at Penn State that students are attracted to the school's construction management program because they view it as a way to make a real difference and help improve the environment through green building technology.

Mandates to reduce energy use and expanded use of alternative energy sources like solar photovoltaics and wind farms mean new work for electrical contractors. NECA contractors get a lot of satisfaction from working on LEED and green construction projects.

These projects do a great job of giving back to the communities where they are located – the same communities where our contractors live and work. They see LEED as a win-win situation.

For example, a NECA member contractor, Guarantee Electrical of St. Louis, provided the design/build installation of low-voltage systems and services for the Alberici Corporation's new headquarters in Missouri. The building received the LEED Platinum certification, which is the U.S. Green Building Council's highest honor.

All this is to say that it's a good time to be an electrical contractor. Although much of the construction we used to do has irrevocably changed, new technology and new opportunities abound. Hospitals and schools may have replaced manufacturing facilities, and responding to the needs of facilities that house sensitive computer equipment may occupy our time rather than fixing a stalled printing press.

However, the demand for an electrical contractor's skills and management expertise has never been higher. NECA and its members are grateful for the opportunities, and welcome the challenges they bring.

John M. Grau is the CEO for the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it