Close
Search

July 25, 2019

The Future is Here!

“Your future hasn’t been written yet. No one’s has. Your future is whatever you make it. So make it a good one.”
— Doc Brown, Back to the Future

Back to the Future premiered in 1985 as an American science fiction film starring Michael J. Fox as teenager Marty McFly, who accidentally travels back in time from 1985 to 1955, where he meets his future parents and becomes his mother’s romantic interest. Christopher Lloyd portrays the eccentric scientist Dr. Emmett “Doc” Brown, inventor of the time-traveling DeLorean, who helps Marty repair history and return to 1985. 

“Back to the future” is fitting when we think about careers in electrical contracting. The phrase harkens back to the 20th Century Serbian-American engineer and physicist Nikola Tesla who was an important contributor to the birth of commercial electricity. He worked with Thomas Edison and later had many revolutionary developments in electromagnetism, and had competing patents with Guglielmo Marconi for the invention of radio. He is well known for his work with alternating current (AC), AC motors, and the polyphase distribution system.

Throughout the 1890s, Tesla set the stage for today’s 21st Century electrical world by pursuing his ideas for wireless lighting and worldwide wireless electric power distribution in his high-voltage, high-frequency power experiments in New York and Colorado Springs. In 1893, he made pronouncements on the possibility of wireless communication with his devices.

Fast forward to now… American consumers pay a lot of money to bring electrical power, lighting, and communications to commercial and residential structures across the U.S. In this country, electrical contracting is an industry valued at over $160 billion annually, made up of over 70,000 electrical contracting firms employing more than 666,900 electrical workers as of 2016. Yet, today, we still face a well-documented shortage of skilled labor based on forecasts by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

IECRM is a bridge to the future for many aspiring electricians and contractors. Bridges connect us and move us forward to a better future. They bring people together, getting us to where we need to go. This is IECRM, and how we are serving you, our members, partners, and apprentices:

  • CSU Global: A Bridge to the Future for Apprentices: Through our partnership with Emily Griffith Technical College, we have joined with Colorado State University’s Global Campus (CSU Global) to provide greater educational opportunities and services to students seeking to pursue subsequent higher education upon completion of their Emily Griffith program, including the four-year IECRM Apprenticeship Training Program. IECRM graduates will have earned up to 53 college credits that may be applied to a CSU Global bachelor’s degree of their choice. Fifty-three credits is nearly half of the credits needed for a bachelor’s degree and amounts to cost savings of up to $20,000. Getting an apprenticeship itself is a great value and sets you up for a successful career. This program can ensure you find and further shape your future.

 

  • Flashpoint: A New Age of Technology: The IECRM team is very excited to bring you our new enterprise system with upgraded tools for apprentice registration, grades, attendance, apprentice class management, online OJT reporting, member communication, invoicing, event registration, and so much more!

 

 

  • Annual Back to School Open House:  Join us on Friday, August 16th from 3-6pm for a Back-to -School celebration and a Homecoming for our alumni who’ve been enjoying their careers in electrical contracting. Talk with them. Learn their secrets for success. Celebrate your future success as a business, apprentice, and industry partner. Families and friends welcome!

 

There’s more to come through our outreach and workforce development efforts where we seek to build an understanding and greater appreciation in the community for electrical contracting and making that a career choice. The fact is, we are not going to use less electricity tomorrow than we do today, but we will use it more efficiently and in different ways.

The future is bright… and it’s here!

IECRM Self-Pay Tuition Policy

 

Self-pay students who are employed with a member company must register and pay through the member company using the IECRM Flashpoint Enrollment Portal/Process in order to qualify for member rates.

Self-pay students that are employed with a member company but that do not register and pay through the member will be charged the non-member rate for tuition, books and applicable fees.


Self-pay students who are employed with a member company and require a payment plan will not qualify for the member rate and will be charged the non-member rate for tuition, books and applicable fees.


Self-pay students who do not work for a member company will continue to be charged the non-member rate for tuition, books and applicable fees.


To maximize association/membership benefits, ALL member companies are encouraged to register and pay for all enrolled apprentices utilizing internal payment arrangements and processes between employer and employee.


We value our IECRM members and apprentice community. We encourage all apprentices to be enrolled in the four-year apprenticeship program, earning, and learning their way toward Journeyworker licensure. We encourage all members to utilize the member discount for tuition, books and applicable fees to ensure the long-term support and success of the next-generation electrician.


(Payment Plans are available, please reference the Self Pay Payment Plan Policy.)


Self-Pay Payment Plan Policy


We offer the following arrangements for students that are unable to pay in full at the time of registration.


● Self-pay students will be charged the non-member rate.
● A 50% down payment of total semester tuition, books and applicable fees are due at registration.
● Remaining balance can be divided up to 3 additional monthly payments ($10.00 processing fee applies on each installment)
● All payments that are declined will incur a $20.00 NSF fee.

 

We encourage all students who are employed with a member company to work with their employer to register and pay through the IECRM Flashpoint Enrollment Portal/Process. This will ensure the student is paying the lowest possible rate for tuition, books and applicable fees.