The construction industry in Philadelphia is experiencing explosive growth, says Harold Deloach, master electrician and instructor. In his city, the skyline and landscape are changing daily, with new buildings and homes coming out of the ground in almost every zip code.
“It has created a considerable demand for new construction electricians, commercial electricians and old work electricians for existing homes,” says Deloach, who started a training program for electricians called The Academy for the Industrial Arts LLC (TAIA).
Case in point: The contractors getting licensed through his necprepclass.com course are growing their businesses by double-digit growth monthly. This dynamic has created exponential opportunities for his new students. Here are some ways that Deloach is recruiting new students for his training program and helping to prepare them for careers in the electrical trade.
Focus on diversity.The construction industry is struggling to rebuild a shrinking workforce, and the answer is diversity, Deloach says. His training school connects with diverse groups of potential students by creating strategic alliances and pilot programs with city agencies such as The Philadelphia District Attorney's office, the Court of Common Pleas, and several non-profit agencies. These partnerships help them to attract potential students of all ages, genders and backgrounds. The TAIA School also works hard to promote diversity in the content of its videos and marketing material to attract a broader audience that includes women.
"Women represent 46.9% of the U.S. workforce, but they only make up 9.1% of the construction workforce,” Deloach says. “On average, women earn about 82% of what their male counterparts make, but in construction jobs, women earn 95.7% of what their male counterparts make. We work hard to get the message out that good-paying jobs are waiting and within reach.”
Build a presence on social media. Through Facebook and Instagramvideos, the TAIA School highlights the unique opportunities and advantages that only a career in the trades can offer a potential student. The instructors begin by educating their potential students about the return on investment with an electrical education.
“This trade can provide you with knowledge with very little to no college debt,” he says. “You also have an opportunity to earn while you learn. This effort has successfully attracted students transitioning from industries affected by the recent pandemic. Our current students range from bartenders to health-care workers, even real estate investors. The focus of our campaign is economic freedom and portable skills with a pathway to building a legacy.”
Blend hands-on instruction with the classroom experience. Once the potential students sign up for the program, they are able to learn in both the real world and the classroom. For example, as Deloach’s students grow more confident and progress through the virtual portion of the course via Zoom, they begin doing real-world repair projects in small groups at the office building where the school is located. The center's executive director allows Deloach to perform basic electrical repairs with his students throughout the 7500-sq-ft office space during evening hours when the business is closed. To date, his students have performed HVAC heating and cooling repairs; electrical lighting installations, repairs, and retrofits (both interior and exterior); and receptacle outlet installations and repairs.
“These basic installations give my students time to gain confidence progressively and apply the theories learned during lectures,” he says. “These small projects help to reduce their fear and anxiety; they don't have cold feet when they're called upon to perform tasks in their future jobs; they have time to develop and gain mastery over basic tasks.”
Make learning enjoyable. Deloach does everything he can to keep his students entertained while they learn.
“Electrical training content can be very dry and dull, sometimes based on how it's delivered,” he says. “Complicated content is much easier to digest with a team effort approach.”
He uses a “no man or woman left behind” policy as his students learn together. They all take part in helping each other, which has created a breakthrough in their development.
“I encourage my students to find the most straightforward path to understand any challenging or complicated theory,” he says. “I believe that there is more than just one way to learn, and students should find the best system for that.”
Ask for help. When developing and executing his training program, he uses local experts like building inspectors and electrical underwriters to provide insight into the local construction industry.
“These experts help my students get a sense of the climate and environment before entering the field,” he says. “I also don't teach topics I'm not adept in; I know when to seek the support of experts in their field who can be relatable and approachable.”
Implement a contractor ride-along program. The program's largest and most prominent feature is the "Contractor Ride-Along," where his students spend a day shadowing a local electrician, he says. The students get immersed in the day-to-day activities of being an electrician. The TAIA School begins by exposing the students to real-world, real-time experiences through job site visits. This system has accelerated the learning process for the students, he says.
“Real-world experiences show them what to expect day one on the job,” he says. “My necprepclass.com student-contractors give me access to construction sites all across the city. This feature offers my students access to residential and commercial projects in real-time in almost every zip code, the students love it, and the contractors crave it.”
The students can learn the electrical craft on real working job sites, at their own pace.
“We maintain strict safety procedures, and the contractors love having students on their sites, and their customers adore seeing the students,” he says. “Most taia-school students are immediately ready to start working after enrolling in our program, so we plan early to partner new taia-school students with newly minted master electricians.”
Set up a mentoring program. Most students get offered employment between their first and second 10-week semester, he says. To help the students, the school facilitates mentoring relationships between the contractors and the new students as they learn how to become an electrician.
“The contractors get loyal mentees that become employees; It's a perfect eco-system,” he says.
To learn more about the program, visit the The Academy for the Industrial Arts website or check out this Q&A with Deloach.
Fischbach is a freelance writer based in Overland Park, Kan. She can be reached at [email protected].
