 
New Hampshire Local Opens State’s
Largest Training Center
October 2008, Electrical Worker
 After years of planning, Dover, N.H., Local 490 opened the state’s most comprehensive electrical training facility in late August. The New Hampshire Electrical Training Center is powered by a rooftop photovoltaic system installed by fifth-year students among the 60 apprentices in the 350-member local.
The 8,000 square foot Concord training center—part of a 20,000-square-foot meeting and office complex—replaces a much smaller local union hall 60 miles away in Dover, where apprentices were squeezed into a basement for training.
“Finally, we have a world-class, advanced training center which will show our capabilities to prospective apprentices and signatory employers,” says Local 490 Business Manager Joe Casey, who expects the higher-profile location in the capital to help to increase the local’s political influence in the statehouse and legislature.
The training center has been well-received by political leaders, says Casey. State Senator Lou D’Allesandro joined other leaders at the facility’s August 23 ribbon cutting. Also present were the state’s labor commissioner, AFL-CIO and state building trades leaders and the executive manager of the Boston chapter/New Hampshire division of the National Electrical Contractors Association. Business manager Glenn Brackett represented Manchester, N.H., Local 2320.
Jack Jarvis, state director, U.S. Department of Labor for Apprenticeship Training, complimented IBEW and NECA for featuring green technology training and for opening the center to Job Corps participants. The Job Corps is a no-cost career training program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor for young people between 18 and 24 years of age.
“It is a great thing for youth that are going into the Job Corps,” said Jarvis, “to have access to a training facility like this, and also for the IBEW to have a facility that has such far-reaching benefits, even beyond its own work force.”
IBEW Local 490 members cut the cable to open the New Hampshire Electrical Training Facility in Concord. From left are Paul Houde, Bill Emerson, Kenny Gowen, Nathan Phinney, James Casey, former Labor Commissioner of NH; Tom Cowette, Jim Demko and Local 490 Business Agent Joachim “Joe” Howard.
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