MEMPHIS, Tenn. — At the Mid‐South Independent Electrical Contractors’ (IEC) apprenticeship graduation dinner and ceremony this month, Thomas & Betts announced a donation of $20,000 toward the apprenticeship programs.
“I am extremely honored and excited for this wonderful and generous donation”, Walt Czyrnik, executive director of Mid‐South IEC, said at the June 9 event. “This donation will be used to significantly enhance the training we provide to our more than 100 annual apprentices.”
The Mid‐South IEC Four‐Year Apprenticeship Program provides students with on‐the‐job training as well as 576 hours of classroom education with hands‐on electrical labs to increase their understanding of their electrical career. Additionally, these apprentices receive a systematic hourly wage increase. Apprentices enter the field of electricians on an in‐demand career path and graduate as skilled professionals.
Thomas & Betts Corporation is a leading designer and manufacturer of electrical components used in industrial and commercial markets. Their corporate office is in Memphis, and their training facility is in Bartlett.
David Kendall, director‐industry affairs for Thomas & Betts, said, “Thomas & Betts recognizes that the National IEC, IEC Foundation, and the Mid‐South IEC play significant roles in thedevelopment of first-class electrical apprentices. The potential impact for this donation will support the training, education, and growth of future electrical apprentices at the Mid‐South IEC.”
The Mid‐South IEC is a volunteer membership organization incorporated in 1992 to serve entrepreneur electrical and low-voltage contactors and their employees. It is a chapter of a national organization established in 1957 representing almost3,500 members with more than 50 chapters nationwide.
The Mid‐South IEC serves more than 100 members and partnerswho employ electrical and low voltage workers in West Tennessee, Northern Mississippi, and Eastern Arkansas. Mid‐South IEC aggressively works with the industry to establish a competitive environment for the merit shop — a philosophy that promotes the concept of free enterprise, open competition, and economic opportunity for all.
