ST. LOUIS – A partnership of IBEW Local 1 and the St. Louis NECA contractors who employ them is again committing financial support to the Apprentice Ready Construction (ARC) program which prepares high school students and young people for the construction trades.  Graduation day for 19 summer students in the ARC program, run by Missouri AFL-CIO’s Missouri Works Initiative (MWI), was held July 30, 2025 at the IBEW Local 1 Union Hall. There, representatives from the IBEW/NECA Electrical Connection partnership presented a $20,000 check to support ARC for another year. The students graduating participated in an eight-week pre-apprenticeship training program in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis.

“The IBEW/NECA Electrical Connection is providing more than just financial support but also offers its vast expertise in electrical/communication technology that is powering and connecting our world,” said Megan Price, executive director, MWI.  Price noted that Jennifer Clark Bader with IBEW Local 1 is the St. Louis coordinator for MWI.

Participants in the program have toured and gained hands on experience at the award-winning IBEW/NECA Electrical Industry Training Center.  For more than 80 years, the training center has produced more highly skilled and safe electricians and communication technicians than any other program in Missouri.

“Missouri Works Initiative and its ARC program have a proven track record of connecting young people from diverse backgrounds with careers in the construction trades,” noted Frank Jacobs, business manager, IBEW Local 1. “It is invaluable to our efforts to energize and build that next generation of electrician and communication technician who come from all walks of life.”

The Electrical Connection commitment to the program also supports the exploration of careers in other trades and a pioneering construction pre-apprenticeship program at St. Mary's South Side Catholic High School and other schools.

“Our NECA contractors have become personally engaged with program participants who may one day engineer and manage complex commercial, industrial and residential projects that are our forte,” said Kyle McKenna, executive vice president, St. Louis Chapter NECA. “By investing both time and resources into this program, we’re not just building future careers - we’re strengthening the foundation of our industry for generations to come.”

ARC traces its roots to a highly successful St. Louis Building & Construction Trades Council AFL-CIO pre-apprenticeship program launched in 2014 and supported by all St. Louis union trades.  Since its inception, it has placed 270 in St. Louis union apprenticeship programs.

The Electrical Connection is a partnership of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local No. 1 and the St. Louis Chapter, National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). Members provide safe and reliable electrical construction, maintenance, repair and replacement services across Missouri, the nation and the world.  Learn more at www.electricalconnection.org.