Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Skylar Grissom
For Skylar Grissom, Co-Valedictorian of the WECA SoCal Commercial Electrical Class of 2023, the decision to pursue a WECA apprenticeship was influenced by a powerful force: his family.
Five of Skylar's older brothers had previously embarked on the same journey through WECA's electrical program, serving as a testament to the program's excellence and career opportunities it provided...
One of the advantages Skylar highlights about the WECA program is the financial freedom it affords its graduates. The fact that there are no tuition fees to pay or student debt to deal with post-graduation has opened doors for Skylar and his brothers.
“I knew in high school I couldn't afford college, but once all my brothers were going through WECA apprenticeship, I learned you don't have to pay anything. So it really gave us an opportunity," says Skylar.
Read the rest of Skylar's spotlight here.
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Michael Johnston
Michael Johnston's journey in the WECA Electrician Trainee Certificate Program, from which he graduated as Salutatorian of his Southern California cohort, serves as an example of how seizing opportunities for a quality education can pave the way to a fulfilling career.
Michael's decision to enter the electrical field was serendipitous, initiated by getting a job with a supportive contractor. Michael's boss, having gone through the WECA program himself, recommended it to Michael, and sponsored his course tuition.
WECA's comprehensive Electrician Trainee Certificate program--most of which Michael was able to attend online while still attending intensive hands-on labs at a WECA training facility once a quarter--provided Michael with the knowledge and skills necessary for success.
Read the rest of Michael's spotlight here.
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Kenny Carlson
Kenny Carlson, Co-Valedictorian of our Southern California Commercial Electrical Class of 2023, gives a shout-out to two dedicated WECA instructors who made a difference in his learning experience: "I first started with Keith Smart, and after that, I had Ray Newton, and they both were great with teaching us in a real-world scenario and applications environment. The best thing that we worked on in the program would be all of the labs, being able to be hands-on and able to see how everything works on a smaller scale."
Read the rest of Kenny's spotlight here.
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George Cook
George Cook is a graduate in the WECA Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Class of 2023 in Northern California and works for WECA Member Contractor Rex Moore Group.
During his apprenticeship education, on WECA’s competency-based curriculum model, George’s favorite competency was motor controls.
“There was a lot of problem-solving logic behind it. So, I kind of enjoyed that. We would get to sit down, figure out the design of the circuit, then wire it up, including, you know, push buttons, motors, stops, starts, things like that," George says.
Read the rest of George's spotlight here.
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Brian Morita
2023 WECA Northern California Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship graduate Brian Morita had double the inspiration to pursue an electrical career, and credits his father (a former PG&E lineman) and his in-laws (owners of WECA Member Contractor Knights Electric) with sparking his interest.
"My dad taught me a lot of stuff about electrical when I was growing up, when we would work on the house together. But I never really thought about seeking it out as a career until after I met my in-laws," says Brian. "I liked the fact that the commercial electrical industry was something new, and I was looking for something to challenge myself," says Brian.
Read the rest of Brian's spotlight here.
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D'Angelo Brady
Like many successful WECA graduates, 2023 WECA Northern California Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship graduate D'Angelo Brady comes from an electrical industry family. His father, Michael, is a WECA Member Contractor and owns Elk Grove, California-based Brady Electric.
At WECA, D'Angelo has enjoyed learning about PLCs (programmable logic controllers) and start-stop stations in the motor controls lab and says that learning about them has helped him in the field because the gas stations his company works on constantly use contactors and relays.
"We're using FE petrol systems, which are basically just big relay boards that control the gas pumps and the turbines inside the ground and pump the fuel into the dispenser. The motor controls lab helped me get a better understanding of contactors; being able to look at them on the board from a bird's eye perspective really helped me make sense of how the circuit really works in the field," says D'Angelo.
Read the rest of D'Angelo's spotlight here.
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