Western Electrical Contractors Association, Inc.

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Catching Up With WECA's Keith Smart; Hear About Apprenticeship Program Delivery at New AZ Facility

Thursday, May 20, 2021



WECA’s Apprenticeship Remote Manager, Instructor and Phoenix training facility head Keith Smart says—quite fittingly—that his favorite part of his career is “Seeing the light bulbs go on! If I can help someone understand a subject they have struggled with, that makes me happy.”
 
Smart—a seasoned WECA instructor who recently relocated from our Riverside Training Facility to open WECA’s new Phoenix training facility and spearhead the Arizona division of our Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship program—says that his promotion has been both a challenge and a blessing.
 
“It was an honor being selected for this opportunity. I am filled with excitement being at the beginning stages of a new facility going online. I now see how much work goes into starting a new program for WECA,” says Smart.
 
And although Smart capably does it all—and excels at it, to boot—he credits Terry Seabury, WECA’s Executive Director and CEO, and Don Black, WECA’s Apprentice Training Director, with helping provide the essentials and support needed to get the Phoenix training facility and the Arizona division of the Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship program up and running.
 
“Having a great game plan was key,” says Smart. “I was given tremendous help and guidance from Terry and Don. Taking care of facility needs such as maintenance, vendors, furnishings, supplies, class and lab materials, student indenturing, and marketing is just a short list of things involved with building out this new facility.”
 
Smart also says that although the WECA Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship program is now being taught in a new state in addition to California, he feels that the Arizona version of the program doesn’t drastically differ from the California version. Regardless, he hopes to take this program to new heights in Arizona.
 
“I hope that WECA Arizona can expand proportionally as large as it has in California and have as strong a presence, so that we can provide Arizona’s top electrical contractors with the best apprenticeship training available,” says Smart.
 
If the aforementioned is any indication, it sounds like Smart is off to an excellent start in Arizona—both professionally and personally!
 
“We like it here,” says Smart of himself and his family—including his wife, who he says, “has been a trooper through it all.”
 
Smart continues, saying that “[Arizona] feels free, and people are generally nicer. It is hot though, but the winters are mild, and spring is perfect!”
 
And last, but not least, Smart says he’d like to “Thank Terry and Don for considering me for this position. Thanks to Christine for all her help with indenturing. Thanks to Michelle for all the marketing. And thanks to Kim for helping through all the confusing COVID-19 stuff! In general—thanks to WECA!”
 
Thanks to WECA, indeed! These are excellent sentiments, Keith. We are grateful to have you as part of the WECA Family, spearheading our electrical apprenticeship in Arizona, and wish you the best of luck in your continued efforts! 

Learn more about and apply for WECA's Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship program in Arizona here.