Erik Ramirez, a WECA Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Class of 2022 graduate, knew that his WECA education would be exceptional from the first class.

“After transitioning from a different institute over to WECA, in the first class I realized just how much better my education experience was going to be,” says Erik. “WECA’s staff is exceptional, and the instructor [Keith Smart, WECA Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Program Manager and Instructor] was always there to support me and answer any question I had.

The quality of WECA’s education has also played a pivotal role in helping Erik prepare for his chosen career.

“Their curriculum offered a full range of topics that cover a lot of the fundamentals needed to succeed in this industry. Many of the hands-on labs were based on real-life situations in the field,” says Erik.

Additionally, Erik’s on-the-job training with his employer, WECA Arizona Founding Member Contractor Corbins, has provided opportunities to work alongside experienced coworkers and gain invaluable experience doing different scopes of work through various projects.

Outside of school and work, Erik credits his family with providing essential support every step of the way.

“The main factor that contributed to my success at WECA and in my career was and still is my family,” says Erik. “Without their support and motivation, I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am today.”

However, we suspect that Erik’s ambition and tenacity has also propelled him along his journey, as evidenced by his post-graduation plans.

“My plans after graduating are to keep growing in my career and knowledge. I won’t settle with just a journeyperson title. I want to be part of the next generation of leaders in the electrical industry,” says Erik.

Congratulations, Erik! We are proud of your hard work, determination, and success, and are confident that you will make an excellent future leader for Arizona’s commercial electrical industry.