Workforce Development with Denmark Vocational School!

Martin Electric teamed up with HVCC & Turner Construction to bring a group of 25 electrical students from Herningsholm Vocational School on a tour of Albany International Airport's Terminal Expansion Project where Martin Electric serves as the electrical contractor.

After touring the jobsite with the construction manager, Robert Wagner (Turner Construction) and electrical superintendent, Jamie Nellis (Martin Electric), the students heard from our President, Kendra Hart, about the state of the electrical industry and how Martin Electric is meeting the explosive demand in the Capital Region. The day concluded with a roundtable discussion drawing similarities and differences between the two countries across a broad range of topics from sustainability and innovation to apprenticeships and compensation.

What is the cultural exchange experience at HVCC?

Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) has a growing partnership with Herningsholm Vocational College (HVC) of Denmark, hosting the fourth delegation of visitors to the Capital Region in fall of 2024. HVC students in fields of study from construction to electricians to machinists have visited the Capital Region as part of a cultural exchange program.
The current cohort includes 25 students studying to become electricians or machinists. They are visiting the Capital Region for four weeks, participating in on-campus activities and workforce development programming at HVCC, along with external visits to see local employers in their fields of study.

How important is sustainability in Denmark?

Did you know that in Denmark, contractor RFP’s include reporting out on the companies CO2 emissions? In hearing from the students, sustainability in Denmark is the leading priority and companies that can demonstrate responsible sustainability efforts are looked at more favorably when awarding contracts.

What are the differences in government support and compensation?

For the most part, the apprenticeship programs in both Countries were very similar with a hybrid learning model of classroom theory based learning and hands-on field experience training. The main difference is that in Denmark it is a 50/50 split between classroom and field training, whereas the IBEW apprenticeship program places a greater emphasis on the field experience where students are in the classroom only every other week for 8 hours. Like the IBEW apprenticeship program, the Danish government pays students a stipend to be in the program which we like to refer to as getting paid to learn! The key difference being that the apprenticeship program in Denmark is a government sponsored program and free to all citizens.
The students were impressed at the compensation structure of IBEW electricians, but the students shared with us in their culture, the craft workers “get a piece of the cake” at the end of the job if the budget is met, referring to bonus’ and incentives.

What is the future of the electrical industry in Denmark?

Like the US, Denmark is seeing an explosive power demand attributed to factors like the electrification of transportation and heating, as well as the expansion of data centers. To meet the growing demand, increasing the workforce supply is an absolute which is why Martin Electric is a champion for workforce development. Instead of talking about the problem, we are working towards solutions not only locally but globally!

How technology is helping the enhance safety, quality, and productivity in both countries?

The students shared their knowledge of technology in construction including the use of BIM modeling and building scanning. This is something our apprenticeship does not teach on but absolutely needs to begin incorporating into the curriculum because its here to stay and enhances the overall safety, quality and productivity of our people and projects.

What is one piece of advice we would give to the students?

From our Superintendent, Jamie: Love what you do! If you love what you do, you’ll show up to work with the right attitude, a willingness to learn and continually improve, and a desire to achieve.

From our President, Kendra: It’s the last 10% that counts. No matter how nice your conduit bends look, if the as-builts, panel schedules, and labeling aren’t correct – the Client will not be happy and it’s the last thing they will remember about the quality of your work. As much focus goes into the quality of the install, the same attention needs to go into the quality of the closeout process. Don’t quit at 90%, it’s the last 10% that counts.

Martin Electric has a longstanding relationship with Hudson Valley Community College, allowing for constant growth and collaboration within the industry. This was a new opportunity for us in the world of workforce development. Although our work doesn't stretch as far as Denmark, these types of conversations are the conduit for growth, worldwide, for the future workforce and industry leaders. #poweringcommunites #empoweringpeople #thinkglobally #actlocally #ibew #neca