As the post-COVID economy begins to gain steam, the demand for well-trained, skilled workers in construction – and particularly for electricians – is shooting upward. Instead of bolstering policies to meet this workforce demand, a bill in the legislature would slam the door of opportunity in the faces of aspiring workers.

Colorado faces a backlog of construction projects, including in the clean-energy industry, and that backlog was deepened during the pandemic. To fill those jobs, there must be an available pool of qualified, trained workers with the skills to do the exacting, demanding work that electrical contracting requires.

The door to opportunity, particularly in communities of color, is wide open.

Many entry-level jobs in electrical contracting have a low barrier to entry, but do require apprenticeships. For more than two decades, Colorado has had a common-sense and safe limit of three apprentices per electrician. This has been proven to ensure that apprentices learn their trade while providing a pipeline of trained electricians.

Unfortunately, some in the legislature are putting the demands of special interests ahead of the demonstrated effectiveness of the current apprenticeship ratio. House Bill 22-1346 would slash the ratio from 3-to-1 to a needlessly restrictive 1-to-1. Why place this barrier on tradespeople who are so desperately needed?

This legislation takes a massive step backward. Indeed, the 1-to-1 ratio was rejected nearly a quarter century ago by the Colorado legislature.

It’s important to examine why.

In 1999, the state faced economic times like what we face today.  Long before the mushrooming demands of the clean-energy sector, the economy back then was generating very significant demand in the construction sector. The population growth that was occurring then sparked the need for housing and commercial construction, particularly along the Front Range.

The legislature examined the restrictive 1-to-1 ratio and in its findings back then it stated that “finding qualified electricians to meet the increased demand has become difficult.” The legislature also found that the demand was deepened by retirements of electricians. It stated that the 1-to-1 ratio was “unduly burdensome.” Today, we face those near identical challenges, notwithstanding the increased demand we’ll face given the projections of population growth in Colorado in coming years.

Over the past 23 years, the expansion to a 3-to-1 ratio has proven to be a positive step, without jeopardizing safety or the effectiveness and thoroughness of training. While advocates for the regressive legislation hang their hats on safety concerns, they have produced zero evidence of any widespread safety issues with the current ratio. Clearly, if contractors and consumers alike had experienced a drop in safety on the job or the quality of electrical training, there would have properly been an outcry to revert to the old ratio.

We have heard none. Not after the bill was passed 23 years ago, and not now.  Except from special interests who see an opportunity for financial gain from turning back the clock to 1999.

The real losers in this ill-considered, retrograde legislation are the men and women who are eager to find a trade that provides reliable, quality jobs that pay well and offer a true path for advancement.

There is solid interest across our state, particularly among young men and women of color, to become electrician apprentices, which is good news in an industry that places a premium on diversity and inclusion. This is a career that offers a reliable pipeline of work, a path for career growth, and jobs that can eventually pay $100,000 per year or more.

These opportunities are particularly robust in the clean-energy sector, which is an economic priority for Colorado. For example, the booming solar industry is eager to employ electricians to work on installations, yet HB 1346 will, at best, significantly constrict the pipeline of new electricians. This hampers the very industry that many in the legislature see as key to Colorado’s fight against climate change.

If House Bill 1346 becomes law, the opportunities are immediately slashed by two-thirds. Without question, there are not enough electricians to meet the demand for apprentices now with the current ratio.  How many young men and women – particularly men and women of color – will the industry be forced to turn away, or delay their apprenticeship for months or longer? How many will be discouraged and just turn away from a path to earned success?

Colorado has become known as a place that is forward-looking and is intentional about growing the jobs of the future with a diverse and inclusive workforce. House Bill 1346 reverses course on what makes Colorado a place that can and must be a magnet for those seeking opportunity, and it must be soundly defeated.

Marilyn Akers Stansbury is CEO of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Independent Electrical Contractors, the premier energy trade association for the region, and the largest IEC electrical apprenticeship training program in the U.S.