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Thursday, August 31, 2023 A Warm Welcome to Our New WECA Apprenticeship Instructor Sergio Sanchez-Rangel

Sergio Sanchez-Rangel was born in Riverside, California, and is now an Apprenticeship Instructor at our Riverside Training Facility. He was exposed to the construction industry at an early age because his great aunt was always working for a construction company. His Dad maintains a passion for working on cars, so Sergio also grew up watching and helping his Dad work on them in the garage. “I would say my first electrical job was installing Christmas lights for 5 cents a bulb when I was about 6 or 7,” says Sergio.

After graduating from Arlington High School in 2013, he moved to Gypsum, CO, and undertook two jobs at once: auto parts store clerk from 7 am - 2 pm, and then meat wrapper/sanitation worker from 2:30 pm- 9 pm. He endured that schedule for several months until he landed a job as a maintenance worker for a strip mall with apartments above retail stores; there he learned how to retrofit fluorescent lighting to the new (at the time) L.E.Ds. In September of 2014, his great aunt let him know that Champion Electric Inc. was looking for workers, so he flew back to California for the opportunity. Sergio says “I never knew I would become an electrician or, early on, even have considered it being such a great career. But I liked science, and since I had a basic understanding of how electrons and electricity worked and always try to have a good work ethic I realized being an electrician was a good career choice for me--especially factoring how rewarding it can be financially. It's personally rewarding, too--I can look around my community and say 'I helped build that.'"
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Sergio began his electrical apprenticeship in 2015. He has been on all types of projects around Southern and Central California. “I was blessed to be exposed to many different types of projects and I tried to soak up all the knowledge I could. The apprenticeship program meant my education was paid for, and I tried to take advantage of the free education as much as I could because I wanted to be knowledgeable in my field. It paid off because I was always able to take what I learned from class and directly apply it in the field and help solve problems.” Sergio passed his California General Electrician Certification exam in 2018 and graduated from the Inside-wireman apprenticeship program (Associated Builders and Contractors Anaheim Chapter) in 2019. He has worked for Champion Electric Inc, Bergelectric, and Rancho Pacific Inc, and has also done contracting work as his own C-10, Control of Power Electric.

When it comes to teaching, Sergio believes, “Teaching our students safe electrical work practices through what I have experienced, and providing real-life examples is so important; this trade is rewarding but it can be dangerous if you aren't safe. I try to make the school experience fun and enjoyable so our students will be engaged with learning the skills it takes to become an electrician and pass their California General Electrician Certification Exam!”

Thursday, August 31, 2023 A Warm Welcome to Our New WECA Apprenticeship Instructor Donald Williams

WECA Apprenticeship Instructor Donald Williams, based at our San Diego Training Facility, was born in San Diego but moved to Texas until he was 5. Then he and his family moved back and he’s been here ever since.

Donald got interested in the electrical field just from doing research on the trades—he says he needed something that would pay the bills, because college wasn’t for him. In his research, he found that electricians are very sought after; that they are the first ones on the jobsite and one of the last to leave.

Donald was hired by Bergelectric in 2015 and they registered him in WECA’s apprenticeship program shortly thereafter. He was with them through the majority of his apprenticeship. With Berg, he led work, became an estimator, and then became a project engineer (PE), all while still an apprentice. Bergelectric earned the CalOsha Golden State Award on an airport job on which Donald was a PE.

He graduated from WECA’s Commercial Electrical apprenticeship program as its Southern California valedictorian and became a certified journeyperson; working for a few years as an electrician at SeaWorld. There he was a safety trainer and safety liaison as well. He also began teaching for WECA’s Get Wired program shortly after becoming a journeyperson. “I found out I loved teaching when I became a scuba instructor before ever getting into the trade. My ultimate goal was to become a fulltime WECA apprenticeship instructor, so when I saw the job opening, I applied. Needless to say, it went well, so here I am. I specialize in motors, troubleshooting, and Code,” says Donald.

Additionally, he says "I feel that training is important because out in the field you never hear why we do things. It’s always 'do this or that because your boss or the prints say so.' The training gives students a chance to learn why they are doing it that way; why the engineer designed it that way.”

His primary teaching philosophies are:

‘When one teaches, two learn.’ –Robert Heinlein
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‘A good teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary.’ –Thomas Carruthers

Thursday, August 31, 2023 CA Commercial Electrical Apprentice Open Enrollment Health Benefits 10/2023-9/2024

WECA California Commercial Electrical Apprentices: A reminder that all participants in the WECA health benefits are required to complete a NEW United Healthcare enrollment form, even if you are not making any changes.

The final day to turn your completed enrollment forms is Friday September 1, 2023, by the close of business.

To view your health benefits, log into our website at www.goweca.com, and click on Commercial Apprentices Benefits. Here you will find the New Enrollment form.
For an overview of your WECA health benefits, see the 2023-2024 Lockton Benefits Page for WECA Commercial Apprentices.

And if you haven’t already, check your email from Monday 8/21/2023 for Open Enrollment information. Included in the email is a New United Healthcare enrollment form, United Healthcare HMO Network, and comparison chart for the new health plans. New health plans are Signature Value HMO (Full) and the Signature Value Advantage HMO (less out of pocket expense); both have the same coverage.

For questions, please reach out to WECA Insurance Administrator Cindy Cormier at ccormier@goweca.com or (916) 453-0221 ext. 117.

Thursday, August 31, 2023 Congrats to Instructor Jimmie Slemp on 20 Years At WECA!

?? Congrats to Instructor Jimmie Slemp on reaching quite a milestone – 20 years at WECA! The team in Sacramento got together to celebrate and toast him with taquitos. ?? ?? Thank you, Jimmie, for sharing your knowledge, dedication, expertise, and humor with all of us, and for your unwavering commitment to the apprentices and students in your classroom.

Thursday, August 31, 2023 New Pics from our Rancho Cordova Training Facility 2nd year LowVolt Apprentices in Action in the Lab

Thursday, August 31, 2023 WECA Apprentices: SmartDollar September Cash Giveaway Contest

Content courtesy of SmartDollar

SmartDollar is offering ways to win serious money for the month of September.

Create your SmartDollar account now so you’ll be ready to log in every day in September and max out your entries!

You could win:
• $500 Prize Each Week
• $1,000 Budget Bonus Prize
• $5,000 Grand Prize

Check out the full giveaway rules here.

Not yet signed up for SmartDollar? No worries -- getting started is easy! Learn how below.

SmartDollar is a financial wellness benefit for WECA apprentices. We announced our partnership with the Dave Ramsey-founded online financial wellness platform in January, 2021 to provide our apprentices with a sound foundation in personal finance management. This benefit is available to all WECA apprentices free of charge. Not yet signed up for SmartDollar? No worries -- scroll to the bottom of this article for instructions!

What is SmartDollar? SmartDollar is a step-by-step approach to handling money with the number-one authority in personal finance, Dave Ramsey. More than 4.5 million people have started on Dave's plan and taken control of their money, and you can too! SmartDollar will equip you to get out of debt, on a budget, and on your way to a strong financial foundation.

The average person pays off $9,405 of debt and saves $6,127 in the first twelve months, and you can too!

"This program is powerful yet simple to understand. The Baby Steps make understanding how to win with money easy! Dave's lessons are fun, informative, and incredibly encouraging. It really doesn't feel like I'm taking a financial course. It's more like learning finances from a good friend...or a financially savvy stand-up comedian! The online tools are fantastic as well, and I love being able to 'ASK DAVE' any question and do my budget online. Love it all!" - Recent participant

With SmartDollar, you'll learn how to...

Jump-start your money
Knock out debt
Secure your dream home
Retire in style
Demystify your credit score

How does SmartDollar work? With so many ways to engage in SmartDollar activities and content, SmartDollar Points have been designed to encourage users to establish true behavior change. (Check out the graph below for a quick rundown). The greater the importance and required time of each activity, the greater the amount of points that can be earned. For example, each Core Lesson video completed is worth 250 points. Completing a shorter Deep Dive video is worth 50 points. Tracking a transaction in EveryDollar is only worth 20 points, but users are encouraged to track all their financial transactions with no points limitations. These example activities are key for building the confidence you need to reach your financial goals.

Taking advantage of your free financial wellness benefit, SmartDollar, is easy!

To set up your account after accessing your dashboard, click either of the links shown as highlighted in the screenshot to the right of this paragraph. You'll be taken to a page with a SmartDollar enrollment link, where you will be able to set up immediate access to this important benefit.

Ready to get started?
?
?Login to your GOWECA dashboard

Thursday, August 31, 2023 Explore the 3 ways you can take the GetWired Program at WECA

Are you looking to get started in WECA's Electrician Trainee Certificate Program this Fall?

WECA’s California State-approved Electrician Trainee program educates thousands of Trainees across the state of California.

This program is a great path for students who are not sponsored apprentices. Electrician Trainees who complete WECA's program can earn the WECA Electrician Trainee Program Certificate. This certificate, in concert with the required number of on the job training hours, qualifies California Electrician Trainees to take the CA state General or Residential Electrician certification exam.

Design the journey to an Electrician Trainee Program Certificate in California that works for YOU. Learn all about the different ways and combinations--online; onsite; instructor-led; on your own--that you can now take WECA's GetWired program.

Watch the video to learn more:

Thursday, August 31, 2023 WECA California Class of 2023 Graduation Check your email inbox for your invitation

WECA California Class of 2023! We can't wait to see you at your graduation celebration. If you haven't already, please check your email for your invitation and ticketing details, and make sure to RSVP promptly. See you there!

Thursday, July 20, 2023 New Pics from our Rancho Cordova Training Facility Third-year Commercial Electrical Apprentices

Thursday, July 20, 2023 WECA's GetWired Team Holds Semi-Annual Train the Trainer Event

WECA’s GetWired online delivery and instructional teams met for their 2nd semiannual meeting of 2023 on Saturday July 8^th to welcome new instructors to the team and talk about continuous improvement to our online training delivery, as well as to discuss upcoming WECA and industry initiatives.

Galen Eckert, WECA's ET/CE Online Education Manager, says “It was another fun event filled with informative content as well as a little goat talk!” (Some context on the goat talk: In his spare time, WECA's GetWired Curriculum Development and Training Manager Dan Bierly and his wife run an equine rescue and rehabilitation farm called "Hoofbeats Equine Rescue" in Texas, and the GetWired team always enjoys hearing updates on the many horses, goats, and more that they care for on their property.)

The team discussed the continuing expansion of GetWired’s three course formats (which now include fully online and even self-paced options for most courses in WECA's ET Certificate progression), including ongoing plans to update the GetWired 200 series courses to include graded homework assignments.

The team also discussed future ideas for GetWired’s onsite labs, possible topics for new WECA continuing education courses, the status of changes in California requirements under consideration for workers on BESS and Solar projects, and the anticipated timeline for California's roll-out of the DIR’s updated Certification Exam based on the 2020 NEC. (We're now anticipating a mid-Fall 2023 roll-out.)

“There was also plenty of laughter and camaraderie amongst the team.” Eckert said, “Informative, and fun as always!”

Thursday, July 20, 2023 Introducing GetWired 204: Transformers, Special Locations and Single-Phase Motors

WECA is excited to announce another way students can take GetWired 204, the eighth class in WECA's Path to an Electrician Trainee Program Certificate!

We've long offered GetWired 204 as an instructor-led online course with one hands-on lab on a Saturday. And we still do!

But for students who would prefer to take this course at their own pace, on their own time, we're now offering a fully self-paced online option, just like we've been offering for earlier courses in the GetWired series! Students who might prefer this format include:

Students with job, childcare, or other obligations preventing them from taking the instructor-led scheduled courses in the evenings

Students who would benefit from being able to review the material at a slower pace, such as students for whom English is a second language

Students who just prefer to work on the coursework at times and places when it works best for them

WECA's new GetWired 204 Self-Paced Option is an entirely online, self-paced alternative version of our GetWired 204 course, which expands on the concepts and skills built in earlier courses. Topics covered include:

Transformers
Special locations
Hazardous locations
Healthcare facilities
Places of assembly
Commercial garages and motor fuel dispensing facilities
Motors, generators, A/C and refrigeration and fire pumps
Series-parallel circuits
Basic lighting control – online interactive lab
Single-phase motors

GetWired 204 Self-Paced includes an independent study project that you must complete to earn course credit. The project is designed to help you develop the on-the-job skills you need to be an expert electrician. This course is loaded with interactive practice and an online, self-guided lab to ensure that skills covered in class can be applied on-the-job.

Total class hours available: 39

Standard Tuition Fee: $389

If all of this sounds like it would work for you,

enroll in GetWired 204 Self-Paced Online today!

Think you'd prefer being able to interact with an instructor and learn along with other students, on a schedule two evenings a week, including one onsite in-person lab on a Saturday?

Enroll in an upcoming instance of GetWired 204 with onsite lab here!

Thursday, July 20, 2023 WECA Apprentices: SmartDollar September Cash Giveaway Contest

Content courtesy of SmartDollar

SmartDollar is offering ways to win serious money for the month of September.

But you don’t have to wait until September to prepare for this giveaway. Create your SmartDollar account now so you’ll be ready to log in every day and max out your entries!

You could win:

• $500 Prize Each Week

• $1,000 Budget Bonus Prize

• $5,000 Grand Prize

Check out the full giveaway rules here.

Not yet signed up for SmartDollar? No worries -- getting started is easy! Learn how below.

SmartDollar is a financial wellness benefit for WECA apprentices. We announced our partnership with the Dave Ramsey-founded online financial wellness platform in January, 2021 to provide our apprentices with a sound foundation in personal finance management. This benefit is available to all WECA apprentices free of charge. Not yet signed up for SmartDollar? No worries -- scroll to the bottom of this article for instructions!

What is SmartDollar? SmartDollar is a step-by-step approach to handling money with the number-one authority in personal finance, Dave Ramsey. More than 4.5 million people have started on Dave's plan and taken control of their money, and you can too! SmartDollar will equip you to get out of debt, on a budget, and on your way to a strong financial foundation.

The average person pays off $9,405 of debt and saves $6,127 in the first twelve months, and you can too!

"This program is powerful yet simple to understand. The Baby Steps make understanding how to win with money easy! Dave's lessons are fun, informative, and incredibly encouraging. It really doesn't feel like I'm taking a financial course. It's more like learning finances from a good friend...or a financially savvy stand-up comedian! The online tools are fantastic as well, and I love being able to 'ASK DAVE' any question and do my budget online. Love it all!" - Recent participant

With SmartDollar, you'll learn how to...

Jump-start your money
Knock out debt
Secure your dream home
Retire in style
Demystify your credit score

How does SmartDollar work? With so many ways to engage in SmartDollar activities and content, SmartDollar Points have been designed to encourage users to establish true behavior change. (Check out the graph below for a quick rundown). The greater the importance and required time of each activity, the greater the amount of points that can be earned. For example, each Core Lesson video completed is worth 250 points. Completing a shorter Deep Dive video is worth 50 points. Tracking a transaction in EveryDollar is only worth 20 points, but users are encouraged to track all their financial transactions with no points limitations. These example activities are key for building the confidence you need to reach your financial goals.

Taking advantage of your free financial wellness benefit, SmartDollar, is easy!

To set up your account after accessing your dashboard, click either of the links shown as highlighted in the screenshot to the right of this paragraph. You'll be taken to a page with a SmartDollar enrollment link, where you will be able to set up immediate access to this important benefit.

Ready to get started?

?Login to your GOWECA dashboard