A new careers video, “I Am an Electrician” has been produced and launched by the Construction Forum Education Foundation. The Electrical Connection a partnership of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local One and the St. Louis Chapter, National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) sponsored the production.
Featured in the video is Tiffany Jones, a third-year, female, African American IBEW Local 1 apprentice working for Primary Systems, a data/life safety systems contractor. In the video, Jones said that her first project was the Siteman Cancer Center.
” I helped build that. I’m pulling wire, I’m carrying pipe, I’m using hammer drills, I’m using saws.I’m five-five-and-a-half,” Jones says. “I’m carrying eight-foot, ten-foot ladders on my shoulders. There’s a sense of pride. It helps me feel better about myself.”
Jones also speaks about the salary and benefits and the sense of fellowship with her fellow tradespersons.
The video will be posted on the Construction Forum Education Foundation (CFEF) careers website YeahIBuiltThat.org (Yeah, I Built That!) and pushed out to school districts, workforce organizations and others promoting careers in construction. CFEF is a 501(c)3 foundation, focused on helping young people — particularly those from at-risk backgrounds — have productive lives.