Local electricians attend timely seminar at Pitt State

In the aftermath of the ice storm that has left many area residents in search of an electrician, a timely seminar at Pittsburg State University will ensure these tradesmen have a fresh education on what people need right now.

The Electrical Technology Program at PSU is presenting electrical certification re-training from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 14, at the Kansas Technology Center. Organized last September, the sold-out event will welcome approximately 100 electrical workers from throughout a 100-mile radius to learn about important requirements of the National Electrical Code, the rules pertaining to the safe wiring and electrical connections to buildings.

The eight-hour seminar meets the new annual educational requirements for licensed electricians throughout the state of Kansas, who must complete six hours of training by Dec. 31. The requirements are already in place in Oklahoma and are expected to be in place soon in Missouri. The requirements affect any licensed electrician doing work in the state of Kansas.

Electricians attending the seminar will be focusing on critical aspects of electricity that have come into focus this week. With some electric companies requiring customers without power to hire electricians to service meter bases prior to the company reconnecting power to their homes, the seminar will cover: electrical installations in homes, businesses, and industrial facilities; connecting meter panels and the electrical service; and safely connecting electric generators to homes and buildings, among other things.

Pittsburg State University has been training licensed electricians for the past 57 years, and has approximately 50 students in the program each semester.

For more information on the seminar or on how it will benefit local electricians and electrical customers, contact Jeff Brooks, associate professor of technology studies, at 620-235-4829.

---Pitt State---