Ontario Electrical Contractor 19 Chemco Electrical. R. Graeme Aitken, LL.B, LL.M, is Executive Director of the Electrical Contractors Association of Ontario with over 30 years of experience in the unionized construction industry across Canada. The NETCO Board thanked outgoing Directors Garry Fitzpatrick and Dan Lancia for their leadership and contribution to the success of NETCO. The NETCO Board also elected Tom Reid to serve as President and as a Director of the Council. Tom is the International Vice-President First District Canada of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). He replaced Bill Daniels, whose retirement from both NETCO and the IBEW was effective July 1. Tom Reid joined the IBEW as a construction electrician in Kingston, Ontario in 1984. Active in union affairs, he became the IBEW union organizer for eastern Ontario in 1993. He has served as an International representative of the IBEW in Canada since 1998. As International Vice-President, Reid is based at the IBEW First District office in Mississauga. NETCO has expanded communication and promotion for its training partners with a new interactive website, Twitter account (@NETCOCanada) and monthly editions of the popular NETCO Minute newsletter. The website features a blog, members login section, social media, a direct link to the annual training conference and links to a full list of partners. View the new website at www.netco.org. With a strategic direction of providing up-to-date innovative training and certification programs, NETCO completed an update of the popular Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training ProgramTM to the 2018 Canadian Electrical Code. Special thanks to the review and update committee: Chris Swick, IBEW Local 105; Peter Olders, Construction Council of Ontario; Farid Poursoltani, IBEW Local 213 EJTC; and Robert Nelson, Canadian Standards Association. The updated curriculum was released in October 2018. NETCO is working on two exciting projects in 2019, including the development of a National Sharing Network that will be a database of all programs from across the country and the development of a Canadian version of the Energy Storage and Microgrid Training and Certification Program in collaboration with our partners in the United States. From a policy front NETCO is researching a national policy framework for its partners. The prestigious NETCO Leadership Excellence Award, which recognized the outstanding contributions to success in apprenticeship and continuing electrical training across Canada, has been redesigned into a nomination format. The award is presented each year at the annual training NETCO has expanded communication and promotion for its training partners with a new interactive website, Twitter account (@NETCOCanada) and monthly editions of the popular NETCO Minute newsletter. S AVE THE DATE AUGUST 10/11 2019 WESTIN BAYSHORE HOTEL VANCOUVER conference. A call for nominations will be issued in early March 2019. NETCO has a robust and exciting agenda planned for the 11th annual training conference, which will be held August 10-11, 2019 at the Westin Bayshore in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia. The conference theme is Promoting Apprenticeship Success, and this year’s program will not disappoint. There will be two educational sessions specific to providing delegates with tools to assist apprentices in their success from registration to completion. NETCO training partners will share what’s new in their training centres through the popular Training Centre of Excellence Showcase series. There is a full lineup of speakers that will talk about their cutting-edge programs and resources and an exhibition hall filled with training resources. There will be ample networking opportunities, and be sure not to miss the reception and dinner on Saturday evening, which will be complemented with a true Canadian Coast-to-Coast theme. Registration is now open! Visit the conference website to view the preliminary program and sponsorship opportunities: www.NETCOtrainingconference.com. Melissa Young is the Executive Director of the National Electrical Trade Council.