SYCAMORE, IL – IDEAL® Electrical announced the viewing schedule for the first-ever televised special of the company’s second annual IDEAL National Championship competition. Throughout January, NBC Sports Network, AT&T SportsNet and select Sinclair Broadcast Group stations across the country will offer viewers a chance to see what it takes to be crowned a national champion, while also getting an exclusive look into the daily lives of America’s top electrical tradesmen, students and apprentices from across the country – all of whom represent an industry facing a serious shortage of skilled labor.
“The IDEAL National Championship is a special platform that celebrates the electrician, embraces their families and unites our communities,” said Doug Sanford, IDEAL Electrical Group President. “What quickly became evident is the profound effect the competition has on our finalists, who come from different parts of the country with moving and uplifting stories. We decided to produce a 30-minute television special as a way to capture their experiences to relay the beauty and real impact this competition has to a broad audience.”
IDEAL also continues to host the national competition with hopes of inspiring young men and women to pursue careers in the electrical field and relieve some suffering the industry faces due to a lack of skilled labor. According to the U.S. Labor Department, 70,000 electrical jobs are opening up as Boomers retire.
“We need people to fill the job gap, otherwise building and renovation projects will eventually impact local and regional economies,” said Sanford. “That’s why IDEAL is committed now more than ever to invest in America’s electricians. What better way to do so than host a competition based on skills essential to their livelihood and reward their success along the way. We want viewers to know that there are lucrative and fulfilling careers to be had in the electrical profession.”
The televised special will feature testimonials from Qualifying Round events and highlights from The Championship Weekend, which included a series of real-world competitive challenges in a ‘Final Four-like’ arena with friends and family cheering on competitors at Disney’s® Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
More than 30,000 union and non-union electricians, students and apprentices competed in over 1,000 local and regional events in 2017. Only 156 finalists made it to The Championship Weekend. Winners were crowned in three classifications: professionals, students/apprentices and teams.
To watch the 2017 IDEAL National Championship televised special, check for your local network and show time here.
For more information on The IDEAL National Championship and TV special, visit www.IDEALnationals.com.
