Rowan University, IBEW Local 102 expand education opportunities for members

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union (IBEW) Local 102 and Rowan University announced Friday an expanded partnership designed to enhance educational opportunities for the union's 2,500-plus members.

The agreement creates an "earn as you learn" program that allows members to work full time, while earning university credit through their five-year apprenticeship training. Following completion of IBEW Local 102's program, skilled electricians may apply for Rowan University's construction management programs, including stackable certificates and a Bachelor of Arts degree through the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering.

Offered fully online, Rowan's stackable certificates in construction or project management cover more in-depth industry knowledge, including cost accounting and estimating, project management, planning and scheduling, building codes and leadership skills. Credits earned through the apprenticeship and certificate program may be "stacked" or applied toward Rowan's bachelor's degree in construction management.

Bernie Corrigan, president of IBEW Local 102 and training director of its apprenticeship program, said the union covers 75 percent of its members' tuition costs. The benefit builds on the union's award-winning training program, which requires a minimum 8,000 on-the-job training hours and is accredited by the American Council on Education for college credit.

"We are proud to partner with an institution that shares our passion for making education more accessible," Corrigan said. "A partnership that started in 2017 with Rowan University has opened yet another door for the members of Local 102 with a platform that delivers management-level certificates fully online in a very attainable, four-course format. Education is the foundation our membership builds from, and each and every individual now has the opportunity to be a more agile employee, thanks to our friends at Rowan."

Rowan's construction management programs are endorsed by North America's Building Trades Unions, a labor organization representing more than 3 million skilled craft professionals in the United States and Canada.

"Rowan is dedicated to expanding educational access and creating pathways toward stackable certificates and degrees," said Rowan University Provost Tony Lowman. "There's no need to choose between a trade or a college degree-our program lets members pursue both."

Brianne Lorenzo of Vernon, New Jersey, a fifth-year electrical apprentice, recently enrolled in Rowan's project management certificate program. During the day, she lays out lighting, supports and wiring for a professional building under construction. At night, she balances the demands of parenting with the requirements of her online course.

" In our field, everyone is on the same page when you start out," Lorenzo said. "If you can find things to do to stand out, you make yourself more employable. I think project management is a rung in the ladder that everyone should strive to climb."

Michael Dasaro of Fairfield, New Jersey, also a fifth-year electrical apprentice, spends his workdays on a project to expand a research lab. Eager to learn more about the industry, he recently took advantage of the partnership to enroll in Rowan's construction management certificate program.

"I'll never turn down an opportunity to learn something," Dasaro said. "The motto in IBEW is to 'light the path and lead the way.' This gives our brothers and sisters an opportunity to lead the way further into the construction industry as a whole, to keep learning beyond what we're learning in the apprenticeship. We know what it takes to be a great electrician, but we'll also know what it takes to be a great construction manager or project manager."

Antonia Seakan of Vernon, New Jersey, enrolled in Rowan's construction management bachelor's degree program during her third year in Local 102's apprenticeship program. She graduated from Rowan in May 2020.

"I ended up becoming a foreman not too long after I graduated," Seakan said, overseeing work crews of up to eight people on a large-scale project. She also became an instructor for her union's CE/CW apprenticeship program.

The degree "really helped elevate my performance with managing my team, scheduling projects and with safety," Seakan said. "I just had that extra knowledge."

Kemily Melendez of Butler, New Jersey, took advantage of Local 102's benefits to complete her bachelor's degree in construction management from Rowan. She works on large-scale commercial projects and teaches apprentices in the union's residential program, where she encourages students to earn every certification they can.

"This job is so physical, you always want to be ready for everything," Melendez said. "Sometime in the future, when my body is killing me and I have an opportunity to upgrade in my job or get a promotion, I have that degree to get me to that position."

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