Since the release of powerful AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard, the discussion around “robots” replacing human workers has escalated, and for good reason – some reports anticipate that as many as 92 million jobs worldwide will be redundant by 2030, replaced due to AI integration.
Thankfully, there is hope for individuals searching for a career offering stability, high wages, sustainable pensions, training and support. It’s called “working in the trades,” and a leading proponent of such a rewarding and necessary career is the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1687. Chartered on February 8th, 1951, in Sudbury, Ontario, IBEW Local 1687 represents 700 members across Northeastern Ontario that work in all aspects of the electrical industry. These include:
- 309A Construction & Maintenance Electricians
- 443A Powerline Technicians, Equipment Operators, and Ground Workers
- 631A Network Cabling Specialists
In a world of fluctuating employment opportunities and uncertain futures in many at-risk industries, IBEW Local 1687 represents over 40 signatory contractors locally: from one person shops to contractors that employ hundreds of workers. These skilled tradespeople come from diverse backgrounds and varying levels of experience who, thanks to their membership with IBEW Local 1687, now spend their days gainfully employed and involved in the construction and maintenance of houses, apartments, schools, retail stores, hospitals, factories, mines, mills, smelters, substations, powerlines, and hydro dams.
There are multiple benefits to becoming an IBEW member besides stable employment, these include:
- The highest wages in the electrical industry in Northern Ontario
- Top of the line pension plan
- Health and welfare benefits for you and your family
- The ability to remain local or travel for work
- Endless upward mobility (Worker – Supervisor – Owner)
- An impeccable safety record
- Equal and fair employment
- Multiple apprenticeship opportunities
- Access to in-house and outsourced training
- Multiple social gatherings and events each year
An electrical trade is a viable alternative to taking a four-year college/university degree, as it offers the opportunity to acquire and master a lifelong and in-demand skill. Training as an apprentice is done through brief periods of in-class schooling coupled with on-the-job practical experience over a 5-, 4- and 3-year term for electricians, powerline technicians, and network cabling specialists respectively.
Future growth in Ontario and Canada will require an influx of new tradespeople, with electrical workers sitting at the top of the list of required services.
If you are located in Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, North Bay, or the surrounding areas, an exciting and lucrative career awaits you!
If you are a licensed electrician, powerline technician, NCS technician, or a contractor that is interested in joining the IBEW, or someone interested in an apprenticeship, please contact their Market Development Representative; Yan Gervais at 249-779-9877 or yan@ibew1687.org.