TOPEKA, KS, June 19, 2024 – National Elevator Industry, Inc. (NEII), the premier national trade association providing advocacy, codes, safety expertise, and industry research for the elevator and escalator industry, in partnership with the National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP), will be returning to the SkillsUSA TECHSPO Trade Show June 24-28, 2024, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

Last year was the first year the elevator industry leaders co-sponsored a booth at SkillsUSA TECHSPO where hands-on simulations helped students visualize a day on the job as an elevator and escalator technician. After a highly successful experience that included significant student interest and activity, NEII and NEIEP have quadrupled its booth space to provide attendees with a comprehensive overview of the various roles attendees can play in the future of the vertical transportation industry. And this year, the Elevator Industry Work Preservation Fund (EIWPF) will support the industry’s efforts as well.

“We are thrilled to be returning to SkillsUSA TECHSPO after our debut last year that exceeded our high expectations. Students eagerly stopped by the booth to learn everything they could about pursuing a career in the elevator industry, and their interest couldn’t come at a better time,” said Amy Blankenbiller, Executive Director of NEII. “SkillsUSA and its extensive talent pipeline is a vital solution to the skills gap challenges impacting many industries, including the elevator industry, and we look forward to engaging and educating this next-generation on the bright future of building transportation and the impact they can make.”

NEII and NEIEP will also host a networking breakfast for the teachers and sponsors of the SkillsUSA program nationwide. During this breakfast session, NEIEP and NEII will introduce the teachers/sponsors to the elevator industry and all of the opportunities available to students interested in exploring a financially and fulfilling career path.

The TECHSPO Trade Show, which features more than 200 exhibitors, is part of the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, which will feature more than 6,500 career and technical education students—all state winners—participating in a variety of trade, technical and leadership competitions.

SkillsUSA is a national organization with chapters in every state serving more than 380,000 middle school, high school, as well as college/postsecondary students interested in pursuing careers in trade, technical, and skilled service occupations. Its vision is to produce the most highly skilled workforce in the world, providing every member the opportunity for career success. SkillsUSA has inspired 14 million students and teachers since its inception in 1965.

“It’s so important that people curious about entering the elevator and escalator industry understand how many trade skills are incorporated into the work of an elevator or escalator technician. With our world class apprentice program, I’m confident anyone with building trade know-how will be successful and can find their place in this innovative industry,” added David Morgan, NEIEP Executive Director.

For more information on the elevator industry, go to neiep.org and neii.org and EIWPF.org.

About NEIEP

NEIEP empowers union elevator constructors with the knowledge and skills they need to reach the highest standard of professionalism and safety in the industry. NEIEP’s purpose is to develop, implement, and maintain curriculum for members of the IUEC, offering a network of support throughout members’ careers. This support encompasses apprenticeship training, continuing education, instructor training, labs, and certifications. NEIEP’s core values can be summed up in a handful of words: safety, inclusivity, community, and support. These values guide the program’s commitment to providing the best education and support to the men and women of the IUEC, whether they are in class or on the job. Visit neiep.org for more information.

About EIWPF

EIWPF is an industry-wide labor management cooperation committee. There are over 600 employers in the elevator industry across the United States and Canada and over 30,000 organized elevator constructors working for them. The fund was created for the purpose of improving labor-management relationships, competitiveness, productivity, organizational effectiveness, and economic development.

Working to advance DEI efforts within the building transportation industry

By Amy Blankenbiller, Executive Director, National Elevator Industry, Inc.

According to a recent article on CNBC, for the first time since 2017, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) progress in the workplace stalled in 2022. I am happy to report that for the elevator industry, however, 2022 was a year of DEI promise.

DEI has been a NEII priority for several years. It was clear that diversity within the building trades needed to improve and that progress could be made to ensure that all workers are treated fairly and feel like they belong. But where to start? And where could NEII add the most value to help move industry DEI efforts forward? We had a lot of ideas, but we also had a lot to learn.

As we worked to gather information, formulate a strategy, and build a foundation, NEII focused its early efforts on increasing awareness about our industry and supplementing the promotion of open recruitments. We developed a flier in partnership with the National Elevator Industry Education Program (NEIEP), the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC), the Elevator Industry Work Preservation Fund (EIWPF) to help drive interested parties to NEIEP’s website where they could learn more about working in the building transportation industry and how to apply. NEII has been reaching out to organizations representing diverse populations within close geographical location to one of the industry’s open recruitments since 2020, but it was during 2022 that emailed the 100^th organization, and we didn’t stop there.

2022 was a year where we saw advancements on other industry DEI efforts as well. Here are a few highlights:

• NEII had learned that many women in the field – and even some men – were provided personal protective equipment (PPE) that did not fit their body size or shape. After confirming that all NEII’s Board member companies were offering inclusive PPE, we issued an industry challenge in August 2022 as NEII’s first public DEI initiative. The PPE Challenge encourages all vertical transportation companies to provide size- and gender-inclusive equipment and uniforms so all technicians can be safe and comfortable while working in the field.
• In October, NEII and its member companies participated in Construction Inclusion Week (CIW) – an initiative meant to build awareness of the need to improve diversity and inclusion in the construction industry by providing content and resources and fostering conversations that create alignment in the industry. NEII had amplified CIW messaging previously but developed industry-specific tools, coordinated a social media initiative and supported other industry engagement in 2022.
• NEII also attended the 2022 Tradeswomen Build Nations Conference (TWBN) in late October. This annual event brings together women from all the building trades. NEII’s team was able to attend valuable education sessions and meet female technicians from across the U.S. and Canada, many of whom shared candidly about their experiences on jobsites at all levels of their careers. NEII’s participation at TWBN also helped us convey the support of NEII’s member companies to DEI and this event, as well as develop relationships with industry partners.
• NEII attended the SkillsUSA 2022 Leadership & Skills Conference and began discussions about a potential partnership with the organization. SkillsUSA is national organization with chapters in every state and more than 300,000 student participants nationwide – a majority of whom are from underrepresented populations. It provides a network to increase awareness about working in the building transportation industry and a pipeline of young people already interested in working in the trades.

In my recent article in Elevator World, I shared why DEI should be a priority for all elevator companies, including the extensive benefits you get from having a diverse workforce. I included a simple three-step process elevator companies can follow to get started incorporating DEI into their culture, and suggested partner organizations that can help elevator companies develop a diverse pipeline of talent.

Since joining NEII in 2010, I have learned many things, perhaps none more important than this: the building transportation industry is special. And the heart of this industry is the people. We now need to make sure that all people have the opportunity to join this amazing industry, are welcomed and treated fairly. I am proud of the strides made in recent years, but there is still a lot of real work that needs to be done.

So what does the future hold for DEI in the elevator industry? NEII will continue to build on the work we’ve done so far and the real promise that began to emerge in 2022 on the efforts I’ve discussed today and others. What will you do – provide inclusive PPE? Promote the industry and open recruitments to a broader universe? Help a new worker feel welcome on the jobsite? Or will you identify something different and reach out to NEII to partner with you? I look forward to hearing from you on how we can advance DEI in our industry.

About Construction Inclusion Week

Construction Inclusion Week is the first effort to harness the collective power of general contractors, specialty contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers. The objective is to build awareness of the need to improve diversity and inclusion in the construction industry by providing content and resources.

We recognize and understand that each of our firms may be at different places in our diversity, equity, and inclusion journeys. The intent is that Construction Inclusion Week fosters conversations that create alignment and take us further on this journey for our people and industry partners. If we genuinely want to attract, retain, and develop the best talent for our industry and maximize the diversity of our suppliers, we must grow our industry’s culture to be truly inclusive.

October 18-22, 2021 marks the inaugural Construction Inclusion Week to identify ways to advance diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in construction. NEII is proud to support the efforts. Below are resources to support Construction Inclusion Week and any other efforts to increase DEI. 

Daily webinars held at 12pm ET throughout Construction Inclusion Week are available here. 

Toolbox Talks are available here. 

Learn more about Construction Inclusion Week here.  

DEI and Community Service Resources