Lou Antonellis, Business Manager and Financial Secretary of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 103, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed the Local’s most diverse apprenticeship class in program history.
Local 103 represents over 8,500 members in the Greater Boston area.
The Local 103 Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee recently topped out an apprenticeship class of roughly 400 members. Antonellis said over half (51 percent) of the graduates are women and people of color, which made it the most diverse apprenticeship class in the Local’s history. Local 103 strives for a membership that reflects the diversity of the community and he noted it regularly recruits men and women who live in underserved communities or attend technical high schools.
Antonelli also stressed the benefits of the Local’s Construction Wireman program, which is similar to a pre-apprenticeship program. It allows students to see if the construction industry is the right fit for them before they join and wash out of the Local’s apprenticeship program.
Listen to today’s episode to learn more about these topics.