Every good parent wants their children to be successful. Whether it’s following in their footsteps or helping them to pursue some other path through life, a good parent helps provide direction, encouragement and opportunities for their kids. Walter Bently, Mike Carter, Mike Williamson and Norman Brice, journeymen electricians with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union No. 5, take it a step further.

For the past seven years, they have helped sponsor Explorers Post 105 that provides opportunities for any student in grades nine through twelve to pursue a career as an electrician or other building trades worker. Using the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Learning for Life Program, they have volunteered to mentor anywhere from 15 to 30 students annually who are looking for career counseling and guidance.

“We started the program in 2001 thanks largely to the initiative and support of John Chalovich (former IBEW Local #5 Business Manager) and Fred Sargent (former Sargent Electric Company CEO) who wanted to help young men and women who were looking for direction in life,” Mr. Bentley said. “The Learning for Life Program fit the bill perfectly. By reaching out to young men and women who have an interest in becoming electricians, the IBEW is able to help students be better prepared for life regardless of the profession they end up pursuing.”

Under the program, the Boy Scouts of America survey and screen over 300 youths each year to find out who is interested in a career as an electrician or in construction in general. The list is then provided to Local 5 which invites all of the students

to join its program. According to Walter Bentley, about 30 students will show up at the initial meeting with their parents and about 15-20 will stay in the program throughout the year.

The students meet monthly for approximately two hours from September through April at the IBEW Local 5 Training Center on Pittsburgh’s South Side where they will learn about individual paths to success and what they will encounter in their quests to become electricians.

“They will also learn and perform some hands on electrical work such as installing junction boxes, running wire and in stalling lighting,” Mr. Bentley said. “It’s a wonderful program and it’s been a great experience for both the kids and our training staff who volunteer to work with these young men and women who show a true interest in our profession.”

As part of the program, students are given assistance in understanding the type of math and reading comprehension skills that will be necessary for potential candidates to be able to pass the general aptitude test that is required by the IBEW and most other union building trade apprenticeship schools. Many of the students have gone onto qualify for Local 5’s highly successful apprenticeship program and become professional union electricians.

While a few of the young men in the program are Boy Scouts, membership is open to anyone, boys and girls, ages 14 to 20. There is no residency requirement. Anyone interested in learning more about the Learning for Life Program should contact the Boy Scouts of America or the IBEW Training Center.

Each year, members of the Laborers’ District Council of Western Pennsylvania hold an annual picnic to honor local military veterans. Held at the Southwest Veterans Center in Pittsburgh, more than 150 veterans attended this year’s picnic where they were served BBQ chicken, fresh corn, potato salad and loads of pastries.

“I really appreciate this event, as well as the sweat shirts the Laborers’ give us during the holidays,” said veteran Clem Juricka. This was the fifth year in which the Laborers held a picnic to pay tribute to our nation’s heroes. It is an annual tradition that is not expected to end any time soon.

“Many of our members are themselves veterans who understand the dedication and sacrifice that the men and women of the armed forces give to our country,” said Paul Quarantillo, President-Business Manager of the Laborers. “No one deserves more respect and more of our gratitude than the members of the military, past and present.”

In addition to the annual picnic, members of Locals 373, 1058 and 1451 have also made visiting shut-in veterans an annual event during the Christmas holiday season.

“It’s all just a small way of saying thanks to our veterans,” said Mr. Quarantillo.



Members of the Laborers’ District Council of Western Pennsylvania help serve dinner to local veterans at the Southwest Veterans Center.