In the fall of 1965 IBEW Local Union 354 and the Intermountain Chapter of NECA created a trust document and inserted language into the collective bargaining agreement to form the first Utah Electrical JATC. The committee registered the apprenticeship standards with the Federal Committee on Apprenticeship. In January 1966 contractors started making contributions to the JATC. The original name of the JATC was Salt Lake Joint Apprentice and Journeyman Training Committee. In September 1983 IBEW Local Unions 354 and 217 were merged giving Local Union 354 the entire state of Utah as its jurisdiction. When the two JATC’s were merged the name of the JATC became Utah Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee. In 1998 the Utah Electrical JATC registered standards with the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training for our Telecommunications Installer Technician apprenticeship program. Currently at the JATC we have the privilage in offering two top of the line apprenticeship programs, Inside Wireman and Telecommunications Technician.
In 1969 when the first training director was hired, the JATC was located in an office at 2330 South Main, Salt Lake City. In 1995 the JATC was growing at a rate that required more office space. A decision was made to move the JATC to our present location in the new building that the Local Union had purchased at 2100 South 3400 West, Salt Lake City.
In June 1969 the committee decided to hire a full time training director. Interviews were held and Milton Ouzts was hired as the first director. Milt resigned his position in December 1970. Clark Cushing was hired as the director and started in January 1971. He continued as the director until he retired in March 1982. Richard Bogus was hired as director and started in March 1982. He continued as the director until he retired in December 1992. David Kingery was hired in December 1992 and continued as the director until he retired in December 2008. In 1997 the JATC had grown to a point where an assistant director was needed. Carl Brailsford was hired and served as the assistant director from March 1997 to December 2008. Carl Brailsford was hired in December 2008 as training director for the program. Micheal Lanoue was hired as the assitant training director in November 2014.
The JATC has experienced many changes over the years going from as few as a dozen apprentices to over four hundred at our peak. Our schooling has evolved over the years from going to school two nights a week at the old Utah Vocational Institute in downtown Salt Lake (which has since been torn down) to going to school on Saturdays and then back to nights at the Salt Lake Community College, the Ogden Weber ATC and the Utah Valley State College. In 1999 the Utah Electrical JATC entered into negotiations with the Ogden Weber ATC to start a day school for our apprentices. Since then our Inside Wireman apprentices and Telecommunication apprentices have been attending day school here at the JATC classrooms in the Local Union building.
The current Utah Electrical JATC staff is made up of a training director, assistant training director, three full time day school instructors, and one full time executive assistant.
Trinity Patten was hired as the executive assistant in October 2009. Gary Beckstrand has been a full time instructor since 1999. Jennifer Bingman has been a full time instructor since July of 2013. Adam Ace Shaheen has been a full time instructor since June 2014.
The current makeup of the committee is Russell Lamoreaux, John Nelson, Jacob Foard and Tyler Judd representing the IBEW Local Union #354. Klaas DeBoer, Jr., Seth Hansen, Shawn Murphy and Rhett Butler representing NECA. Russell Lamoreaux is the current Chairman and Seth Hansen is the Secretary.