Our Daily Show! Riverbend Growth Association Spotlight: IBEW Local 649
GODFREY/ALTON - IBEW Local 649 offers resources for those in the electrical construction and maintenance fields, and Business Manager Ryan Mouser encourages more people to consider joining their ranks.
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Located in Godfrey, IBEW Local 649 has an apprenticeship program for budding electricians as well as support for those who have built careers in the field. Mouser noted that the organization is a great starting point for those who want to learn more. As a board member with the RiverBend Growth Association, he also expressed his gratitude for the RBGA and their support of IBEW Local 649.
“With all the growth in this area and in the Metro East, it’s important to be in touch and be engaged with the RiverBend Growth Association and what it can do for you as far as your business and just the community in itself,” Mouser said. “It’s fun. You get to create relationships. You’d see these people before and you never would have said anything, but now, it just broadens the stroke of you and them. And it’s all about networking. That’s how we grow.”
Engaging with people is important to Mouser and the rest of the crew at IBEW Local 649. In recent years, the team has collaborated closely with Alton High School, East Alton-Wood River High School, Lewis and Clark Community College and other local schools to develop programs that teach students more about the trades.
The organization has an apprenticeship program that helps people in the process of becoming an electrician. Mouser applied and worked his way up through this apprenticeship, which he describes as “the best move I’ve ever made.”
To apply, you must have a high school diploma or GED and one year of algebra with a passing grade. The organization favors those who have additional experience or education.
But Mouser encourages anyone who is interested to reach out. He can help you take the first step in the right direction.
“We can get you on the right path if that’s something you want to do,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity to get into the trades, and a great time.”
He added that construction and similar trades are “booming” and will need more workers in the coming years, especially as talks continue to build a data center locally. He noted that “the brotherhood” will support you through every step of the way, as IBEW Local 649 is full of “brothers and sisters that want to help you have a great life.”
That support is also available through the RiverBend Growth Association. Mouser is a proud member of their Board of Directors, and he encourages all businesses and organizations to join the group. He believes their meetings are “a chance to meet everybody and to know more about what they do.”
These relationships will take you a long way in the Riverbend region and beyond. Mouser enjoys every meeting and opportunity to get to know the community better. He makes a point to engage with different people, businesses and organizations through the RBGA every chance he gets.
“When I first started, the job itself was a little bit intimidating. There were a lot of things I was trying to pick up on. And then joining a large group like this, I didn’t know what I was supposed to do, what they expected of me,” Mouser remembered. “But the group there is very supportive. I got to figure out what that system looked like, what to expect. I look forward to going. Just knowing more about the Growth Association, and it’s not just a name. They reach out and they do a good job of trying to bring everybody and tie everybody in in this community and growing it. And it’s getting bigger. It’s important.”
For more information about IBEW Local 649, visit their official website. For more about the RiverBend Growth Association, check out their official website.
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