Staying Ahead

In the day-to-day world of the IBEW, most of us find it hard enough to keep up with the demands of the present, let alone think about the future. But think about the future we must; or else we will be condemned to playing a bit part in it.

Given the rapid pace of technological change, predicting the future is a risky business to say the least. There are a lot of former dot-com millionaires who will attest to that. There are however, some trends that we can spot and must be prepared to act upon. Take solar energy for example.

Solar energy was once considered a pipe dream, deemed an impractical fantasy of the environmental activists. Not anymore. Solar photovoltaics (PV)—as the cover story of this issue of the Journal shows—is real and is becoming more practical every day. The IBEW is preparing to play a major role in this emerging source of electric power.

The IBEW’s involvement in solar power is not new. The topic has been the subject of several articles in past issues of the Journal and has been discussed at the IBEW Construction and Maintenance Conferences for the past several years. While it has yet to reach a mass market, the technology for solar powered fuel cells is growing. Many believe that it is only a matter of time before solar is ready to hit the big time.

Numerous IBEW locals have been involved in this technology—even using solar photovoltaics to power their own buildings. We applaud their efforts and urge more locals to explore this field. When this technology is ready for mass production and installation, I want to see IBEW members be the ones trained and equipped to do the job. My hat is off to those locals that are seizing the opportunities presented by this emerging technology. We are trying to make similar opportunities available to all locals, including strengthening the training curriculum in solar PV offered by the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC). We must prove to present and future users of solar PV that the IBEW and unionized contractors are the providers of choice.

Solar PV is only one of many changes that our members in all industries are confronting. There’s no doubt that changes in the basics of our jobs can be difficult to deal with. Many of our members want to do the tasks with which they are most comfortable, or the things they learned in their first years in the industry. We have said it before, and we’ll say it again. The days of narrow skills are over. Retraining, skills upgrading, and continuing education are the watchwords of the workplace of the 21st century. Our members who have branched into new technologies understand that. We have devoted considerable space in all our communications on this topic, and we will continue to beat this drum. Times are changing fast, and we have to be prepared.

Whether it be keeping on top of solar and voice/data/video work that is altering the journeyman’s role, developing the latest in skills demanded by industrial employers, dealing with the impact of technology on the broadcasting and railroad industries, or training for the changing telecommunications industry, the IBEW is constantly seeking new answers. We must never slacken our efforts to win the work of the future and thus strengthen the dignity and security of every member of the IBEW.

Training and education have been our strengths for more than 100 years. And it will take all of our institutional knowledge and then some to keep ourselves in the forefront of our ever changing industries. There are few certainties in the world we live in, but that is one you can take to the bank.

Ed Hill,
International President