International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union (IBEW) Local 102 and Rowan University on Friday announced 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 can apply for Rowan’s construction management programs, including stackable certificates and a Bachelor of Arts degree through the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering.
Offered fully online, 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,” Rowan University Provost Tony Lowman said. “There’s no need to choose between a trade or a college degree—our program lets members pursue both.”
