Western Electrical Contractors Association, Inc.

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Who said that retirement had to be boring? Certainly not Franklin Tilley – current part-time WECA GetWired! instructor, former longtime WECA Apprenticeship instructor, and forever champion for WECA and the electrical industry.

“I cannot wait to teach the GetWired! classes every night,” said Tilley. “I try to take real-life construction and safety situations from my past and help students so that they can work safely, do not have to learn from their own trials and errors, and can go forward with an eye to professionalism in building jobs that will be used for 100 years or more. I also try to instill in them ethics and morals, and standards of professional behavior that will set WECA graduates on the road to future success.”

Before Tilley started teaching at WECA almost twenty years ago, he did and continues to do it all – working on the electrical for Native American Indian reservations in Arizona; working for the State of California and WECA simultaneously; serving as president of the International Association of Electrical Inspectors in the early 1990s; and rallying the troops at WECA to recommend the need for state licensing of electricians in California to the California Legislature – which helped to get bills relating to mandated electrician training, as well as increased professionalism and safety in the industry, passed.

And teaching GetWired! courses online is not all that Tilley does with his retirement. He also teaches Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training classes for various law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and college nursing programs across the country, and occasionally gives NFPA 70E lectures at teaching and trade symposiums in Las Vegas.

In his downtime, Tilley enjoys writing letters and birthday cards to his 26 grandchildren – each peppered with tips and lessons on growing up in today’s modern world – and writing a family journal to ensure that his descendants understand that their ancestors were real people who had hopes, dreams, and success stories.

When reflecting upon his distinguished career, Tilley had this to say: “I worked for the state, but I taught for WECA for the sheer love of teaching, and the feeling that I was helping to make a difference for my students.”

And make a difference he does – both inside and outside of the classroom. He’s left – and will continue to leave – his mark on WECA and the California electrical industry for generations to come.

Are you an experienced and certified (even retired!) electrician that would like to make a difference in your industry and enjoy the rewarding opportunity of teaching others in the evenings and/or on Saturdays? We’ve got just the job for you – click here to view the job posting and application details.