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Confidence. That is an invaluable thing that WECA and its Electrician Trainee Certificate Program have provided to Anthoney Castro, the 2024 Northern California Electrician Trainee Valedictorian.
“I feel more confident in the field with the things I learned while attending WECA,” says Anthoney. “The education I received was fantastic and has given me a deeper understanding of electricity, how to safely work with it, and how to interpret the NEC. That has greatly increased opportunities for me.”
Anthoney chose the in-person lab option for his classes in the program. “The instructors were very knowledgeable and helpful. The classes were detailed and well-organized. Even with the experience I have acquired in the field, I felt like I was learning and growing in electrical knowledge with every class. The in-class lessons were fun and educational; it was a great experience,” recalls Anthoney.
Initially, Anthoney enrolled in WECA’s Electrician Trainee Program with one goal: to pass the California State Journeyman Exam, which he accomplished. But with an Electrician Trainee Program Certificate in hand, Anthoney will leave WECA with a vast wealth of electrical knowledge, which will help him one day achieve his dream of owning his own electrical company.
Anthoney prospered during his Electrician Trainee Program journey due to support from his family, employer, and mentors.
“My wife, Linsey, took care of our kids and everything at home so I could focus in class and study. My dad pushed me to become an electrician. My company gave me the opportunity to attend WECA. And my mentors helped expand my electrical knowledge,” says Anthoney.
However, success starts with yourself, according to Anthoney.
“Don’t give up, believe in yourself, and make the decision to be great at whatever you do,” advises Anthoney. “There will be things that will try to pull you in a different direction, challenges and people that will try to tell you that you can’t do it or maybe even asking yourself if it is even worth it. It is. Stay focused; in the end, it is definitely worth it.”
Thank you for choosing WECA’s Electrician Trainee Certificate Program for your electrical education and certification preparation, Anthoney! We’re thrilled to celebrate your achievement of becoming Valedictorian of your class and we hope your example of hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm will inspire others.
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2024 WECA Northern California Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Valedictorian Christian Farley says of WECA’s program that “You can learn many things on a job site, but with WECA classrooms and instructors, you can basically touch any electrical subject and be properly informed.”
Christian, who studied at WECA’s Fresno Apprenticeship Training Center, credits WECA and the Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Program curriculum with giving him the skills and the confidence to be assured in his career.
“The instructors helped walk students through various electrical scopes and are informative in the classroom as well as in the labs to ensure every student understands what to do and how to do it,” Christian says. “Learning how to navigate the NEC, read plans, proper wiring methods, and even being able to call the instructors has been an invaluable experience. Without WECA, I would not have had the valuable exposure and been formed into a skilled and trained state-certified journeyman. That experience is so valuable for anyone seeking to be a competent and skilled electrician.”
Christian’s learned skills and acquired confidence translated well into his performance on the job site with various WECA Member Contractors, most recently C3 Electric, and previously with members Imperial Electric Service and Westech Systems, LLC.
“I had the opportunity to work for big shops and small shops. The interesting thing is that I was able to do underground, service calls, commercial, residential, and industrial. WECA works with many contractors who each have their own niche and each employer I have worked for has been a learning experience in each scope. The on-the-job training was a great experience and taught me many additional skills and gave me self-worth,” recalls Christian.
However, Christian acknowledges that a lot of his success can be attributed to his self-determination, as well as his robust support system in the classroom and at home.
“It has been very important to me to give the very best of myself to whatever it is that I do. We are the ones in the driving seat of our learning experience,” says Christian. “We get out of our experience what we put in. Showing up every day and putting in the work and trying to master my craft one step at a time has yielded benefits. You reap what you sow, so always give your best.”
Support-wise, Christian thanks “My beautiful wife, Cathryn, for being there for me every single day. My son, Seth, my legacy and my responsibility to train up in the right ways. WECA for being an institution with high standards and for the quality of the learning experience. And a huge thank-you to (WECA apprenticeship instructors) George Leach for his many decades of electrical experience and his ability to share that valuable knowledge with the class, and Jaron Stroud for diving in deep on electrical concepts and encouraging students to trust the process of learning and to implement what we learned.”
In that same vein, Christian advises current and future WECA apprentices to trust the process.
“WECA has a proven model that yields tremendous benefit in learning, on-the-job training, pay, and more. Trust the process and take your education seriously. You get out of the program what you put in, so with the many resources that WECA provides, utilize them to become the best you can be. In the end, you will be skilled and certified, and that experience alone is very rewarding,” says Christian.
Rewarding, indeed: in the future, Christian aspires to start his own electrical contracting business in California’s Central Valley region and to take the skills that he has learned at WECA to provide high-quality electrical work in the region. Additionally, Christian also plans to come full-circle and train apprentices through WECA so that they are properly trained for the electrical field.
Congratulations on your graduation and accomplishments, Christian, and for planning to train your future apprentices through WECA – an enduring testament to the quality and power of WECA’s electrical education! We look forward to sharing in your success in California’s Central Valley in the future.
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For 2024 WECA Northern California Low Voltage Valedictorian Jorge Vazquez, an employee of WECA Member Contractor AMS.net, the Low Voltage Apprenticeship Program allowed him to continue where he left off after high school, but with the benefit of simultaneously obtaining an education and training for an eventual career as a Voice Data Video Technician.
“I was not able to continue my education after high school, and I jumped right into the work field. (Until) WECA gave me the opportunity to further my education and pave a way for a career,” says Jorge.
Jorge attributes his success at WECA and with his employer AMS.net to innate personality traits and skills and strategies learned in the classroom and on-the-job, and to the education he received from instructors Randy Rivera and John Arias.
“My on-the-job training and WECA education prepared me for my career by equipping me with practical skills, quick problem-solving abilities, enhanced safety awareness, confidence, and preparation for unseen challenges,” says Jorge. “I am also meticulous, organized, safety-oriented, and competitive … these skills that I acquired in my previous twenty-two-year career in the specialty rental business paved the way for me to become Valedictorian of my class. I would also like to thank my instructors Randy Rivera and John Arias for preparing and encouraging me to succeed, and my employers at AMS.net for the opportunity to acquire new skills at WECA.”
No matter what apprentices bring to the table, Jorge urges apprentices to invest in themselves and be the best they can be.
After graduation, Jorge plans to continue working as a Journeyman with AMS.net, with the eventual goal of becoming a lead.
Congratulations on your graduation, Jorge! WECA is proud to have played a part in furthering your education and providing training for your new career, and wishes you the best in your future endeavors!
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2024 WECA Northern California Low Voltage Salutatorian Nathanael Prendez, Jr. – an employee of WECA Member Contractor Johnson Electronics – characterizes his WECA education as challenging yet rewarding.
During his apprenticeship, Nathanael also says that his on-the-job training experience with Johnson Electronics gave him the opportunity to experience and solve real-life problems on the job, and practice skills like thinking on the spot.
For Nathanael, being successful in his apprenticeship and becoming the Salutatorian of his class came about from a multitude of factors: fellow classmates, his instructors, and the support of his family.
“My teachers as well as my fellow classmates contributed to my success; collaborating with them during class and labs and learning the skills that they have acquired during their own personal jobs really helped,” says Nathanael. “I would also like to thank my wife Samantha and my daughter Isabel for supporting me.”
For WECA apprentices who wish to emulate Nathanael’s success, he encourages them to apply themselves while studying and make the most of each semester of instruction.
Now that he has graduated, Nathanael plans to “continue to grow in my experience at Johnson Electronics and continue my education for further growth and development.”
Congratulations on your graduation and for becoming Salutatorian of your class, Nathanael! We are proud of your hard work ethic and continuous growth mindset.