A hundred of anything is a big milestone. And here at ETV, we’re pleased to announce that we have just released Number One Hundred in our ongoing series highlighting the achievements and projects undertaken by members of the National Electrical Contractors’ Association (NECA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).

Of course, our ETV mini-documentaries are about more than that: they are also designed to raise public awareness about the latest technologies, green energy, now NECA and IBEW are working to provide job training and opportunities – and hopefully, entertain.

In honor of the 100th ETV video release, we wanted to take a walk down memory lane and take a little time to remember some of our most popular videos and topics we’ve been covering over the past few years:

The Great Nick Wallenda Grand Canyon Walk

Not surprisingly, this three-video series has been the most popular among our YouTube subscribers. It was about a year ago that daredevil stuntman Nik Wallenda walked a highwire stretched across Niagara Falls between the U.S. and Canada. Two months later, Wallenda followed that up with a tightwire walk across the Grand Canyon. Collectively, the three videos have garnered well over 14,000 views. We’re happy to say that represents over 14,000 people who are now aware of the work carried out by NECA and the IBEW (workers from these organizations helped in preparing and rigging the wire across which Wallenda walked – and hopefully, are now curious to learn more.

A New Kind of Internet

Another video that caught the public’s imagination was our presentation on Visible Light Communication and the transmission of data through the use of LED lighting – that does double duty as room lighting. This exciting new technology promises to provide faster, more secure Internet connections for people virtually anywhere while saving energy and reducing costs. In fact, ETV has done a number of video presentations on LED lighting, not only for buildings, but for streets and homes as well.

Restoring a Grand Old Lady

One of our personal favorites was our video presentation on the U.S.S. Midway Museum Electrical Restoration in San Diego. When she was launched in 1945, this U.S. Navy aircraft carrier was the largest sea-going vessel in the world – a title she retained until the mid-1950s. Decommissioned in 1997 and moved to her current location in 2003, the Midway’s conversion from combat vessel to historical museum has been an ongoing one – and a project to which members of NECA and the IBEW were proud to make significant contributions.

NJATC Job Training and Opportunities

It is ironic that unemployment is so high while so much of our infrastructure is crying out for repairs and maintenance. A large part of the problem is not so much a shortage of jobs, but rather a shortage of workers with the necessary skills and expertise to carry them out. Several of our videos have highlighted educational programs offered by the Joint Apprentice and Training Committee (JATC), part of NECA and the IBEW’s commitment to providing cutting-edge job training and continuing education for the next generation of electrical workers. Among the videos in this series are:

• North Alabama JATC – A Premier Industrial Electric Training Center
• NJATC Core Curriculum Shift
• and the most recent feature on the Atlanta JATC Electrical Training Center

These videos provide insights into the education and professional expectations of NECA and IBEW members.

We hope you will continue to follow us as we present the next 200!