July 29, 2024
Content sponsored by
Provided Courtesy/IBEW Local Union 98
Rowan University Provost Tony Lowman (center) signs the new partnership agreement with IBEW Local 98. Seated to his right is Local 98 President Jim Foy.
IBEW Local 98 prides itself on featuring the best-trained, most highly-educated electricians and technicians in the industry. Recently, we doubled down on that commitment to the ongoing education of our apprentices and members by announcing an innovative new partnership with Rowan University that will enable Local 98 apprentices to earn college certificates and degrees while completing their electrical training.
The partnership combines Local 98’s best-in-class technical training with Rowan’s expertise in teaching construction industry fundamentals, project management, planning/ scheduling, and leadership skills.
The certificate and degree programs in construction management will complement the required five-year apprenticeship that our union apprentices complete.
Through the new partnerships, apprentices will balance full-time work, union training and university courses through Rowan’s flexible online learning model, which accommodates learning during the day, at night or between jobs. All courses are offered fully online through the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering. The programs include:
• three stackable undergraduate construction certificates
• a Bachelor of Arts in Construction Management
• two graduate certificates in Engineering Management
• a Master of Engineering Management (MEM)
The certificates are considered “stackable” because once students complete one or more courses, they may apply credits earned to the next, higher-level program.
Mark Lynch, Jr., IBEW Local 98 Business Manager
This unprecedented agreement with Rowan provides our members with a unique pathway to a Bachelor’s Degree and, for those who already have their degree, an opportunity to pursue a Master’s Degree from this prestigious university.
IBEW Local 98’s Apprentice Training Director Brian Myers perfectly summed up the myriad advantages of this innovative new agreement.
"This partnership with Rowan University marks a milestone moment for Local 98 and Apprentice Training (ATEI),” said Myers. “It provides our members with a unique pathway to a bachelor's degree, and for those who already have their degree, an opportunity to pursue a master’s degree from such a prestigious university as Rowan. The program is designed to include project management certificates, enhancing our members' resumes and career prospects. We believe this collaboration will elevate the educational and professional standards of our apprenticeship program, offering unprecedented opportunities for growth and advancement."
In the capable hands of IBEW Local 98
Apprentice Training Director Brian Myers and Rowan University Provost Tony
Lowman, this unique new educational partnership is bound to succeed.
