A new alliance between the training arm of NECA-IBEW and Philips Solid-State Lighting Solutions is poised to enhance the skills of electricians and apprentices nationwide and help guide electrical contractors in moving into the LED market.

LEDs, or light emitting diodes, are a key priority for both Philips and the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC), the national coordinator of training for electrical apprentices and in-service training of journeyman electricians.

Says Terry Coleman, director of NJATC's Lighting Essentials Curriculum, "LED technology is one of the most rapidly developing sectors of the lighting industry. As a highly efficient, environmentally friendly and inherently digital source of illumination, LEDs are reinventing light itself as a controllable medium. Our partnership with Philips ensures that our apprentices and journeymen, and the union contractors who employ them, will remain among the leaders in understanding the intricacies of installing and maintaining LED lighting in a variety of situations."

NJATC is the largest apprenticeship and training program of its kind, having advanced more than 300,000 apprentices to journeyman status, creating the electrical industry's most highly skilled workforce. For more information, visit http://www.njatc.org.

Philips Solid-State Lighting Solutions is a new entity formed by the acquisition of Color Kinetics by Royal Philips Electronics, the world's largest lighting producer, manufacturer and marketer of products for industrial, commercial and consumer markets. More information is available at http://www.colorkinetics.com.
 

ABOUT NECA AND IBEW

Through their joint marketing organization -- the National Labor-Management Cooperation Committee (NLMCC) of the organized electrical construction industry -- the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) together work to:

-- Reach customers with accurate information about the industry; and
-- Achieve better internal communication between labor and management.

NECA has provided over a century of service to the $130 billion electrical construction industry that brings power, light and communication technology to buildings and communities across the United States. NECA's national office and 119 local chapters advance the industry through advocacy, education, research and standards development.

With 725,000 members who work in a wide variety of fields -- including construction, utilities, telecommunications and manufacturing -- IBEW is among the largest member unions in the AFL-CIO. IBEW was founded in 1891.

For more information, visit http://www.thequalityconnection.org.