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NEIEP recently visited IUEC Local 4, Maine, along with Sam Boss, Director of Apprenticeships and Workforce Equity, at the Maine AFL-CIO to chat with some of Local 4’s newest Elevator Apprentices. NEIEP’s collaboration with the Maine AFL-CIO creates meaningful, long-term career opportunities for skilled tradespeople looking to join the IUEC.

On November 24, Rowan University and the National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP) celebrated a new partnership with a ceremonial signing event at NEIEP’s Rhode Island training center. The collaboration offers members of the IUEC the opportunity to earn college credits for their apprenticeship training at NEIEP.

NEIEP’s website now includes a U.S. map showing where upcoming Elevator Apprentice recruitments will occur. Each IUEC local runs a formal recruitment about every two years, and when a recruitment opens, eligible candidates can apply online to their chosen local.

In 2023, the IUEC hosted the Global Power Trade Unions (GPTU)’s annual conference in Vancouver, where around 40 international delegates discussed common concerns like safety, health, inequality, and the climate crisis. A notable guest, Canada’s Minister of Employment, Workforce Development, and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, emphasized the need to attract more individuals to skilled trades, given Canada’s worker shortage. The conference also delved into issues like licensing procedures, international collaboration on standards, and the role of unions in addressing labor shortages.

NEIEP hosts an educational fair in Arlington, Texas, attracting apprentices and experts alike, including IUEC Local 21 members. The apprenticeship program is nationally standardized and ensures all apprentices receive the same quality of education, regardless of location. “We have code courses, we talk about different safety issues and factors, how to keep you and your crew safe. If you want to be successful in this field, and I would say life, you have to continue to learn,” stated Lester White, NEIEP’s Department Head of Development.

IUEC Local 133 members working for TK Elevator explored NEIEP’s extensive educational offerings at the NEIEP fair, in Austin, Texas. Led by Lester White, Head of Development, the event showcased hands-on lab materials and provided a platform for exchange between apprentices, seasoned elevator constructors, and NEIEP’s subject matter experts. “All the lab work that you see in here today – we didn’t have that when I went through (the education program), so seeing the technology and the growth – it helps them out in the field so they can apply what they do in the field in the classroom, and vice-versa,” stated Pat Corker, IUEC Local 133 member.