Pictured left to right: Paydin Hamblin, Paul Roberts, and Cody Cosgrave

WECA Lead Instructor and Lab Manager Jimmie Slemp has done it again! Every year, Jimmie encourages his apprentices at WECA's California headquarters and training center in Rancho Cordova to donate to WECA's annual canned food drive, and every year, his apprentices deliver!

This year, it was Jimmie's third-year, first semester Commercial Electrical apprentices who got into the holiday spirit and kicked off the holiday season with their donations. 

Thank you, everyone, for giving back to the community during the holiday season. And it's just the beginning: there's still about a month left for apprentices to drop off donations at WECA's California headquarters and training center in Rancho Cordova! 

Manuel Lopez

United States Army

We're proud to spotlight Manuel Lopez, U.S. Army veteran and WECA Commercial Electrical apprentice.

Manuel shares how his time in the military, which included leading a fire team, training across multiple locations, and building strong camaraderie, prepared him for success in the electrical trade. 

He discusses how the teamwork, discipline, and hands-on skills he developed in the Army directly translate to his apprenticeship experience, and how WECA's program helps veterans continue to grow and lead in their new careers.

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Robert Lipke

United States Marine Corps

We're also proud to spotlight Robert Lipke, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and WECA Commercial Electrical apprentice.

After serving as an anti-tank missile gunner in the Marine Corps infantry, Robert found that transitioning "from a helmet to a hard hat" just made sense. The discipline, teamwork, and work ethic he developed in the military carried over naturally into his new career in the electrical trade.

Robert shares how he discovered a sense of purpose and direction through his apprenticeship after feeling uncertain about his path in college. He highlights the hands-on learning, career opportunities, and satisfaction that come with being part of the trades, and encourages others to consider this rewarding and stable career path. 

Classes and Business Services Will Commence at Our New, Expanded Phoenix-Area Facility on December 1st


 

Dear WECA community,

We're pleased to announce that our Arizona headquarters and training center is moving to a new and expanded facility to accommodate our growth and help us continue to better serve our Arizona Member Contractors and Apprentices.

Classes and business services will be located at the new facility effective December 1st.

WECA's Arizona headquarters/Phoenix Training Center will now be located at:

8331 W. Sherman St.

Tolleson, AZ 85353

Best regards,

The WECA Team

New Year, New and Expanded Facility!

WECA's Riverside Training Center is Moving!

Classes Will Commence at Our New, Expanded Riverside Facility on January 5th, 2026


 

Dear WECA community,

We're pleased to announce that our Riverside Training Center is moving to a new and expanded facility to accommodate our growth and help us continue to better serve our Inland Empire Member Contractors, Apprentices, and Electrician Trainees.

Classes and business services will be located at the new facility effective January 5th.

WECA's Riverside Training Center will now be located at:

21550 Van Buren Blvd.

Riverside, CA 92518

Best regards,

The WECA Team

Some of WECA's Curriculum Development, eLearning, and Educational Media and Technology team attended DevLearn 2025, North America's largest learning technologies conference and expo, earlier this month!

Attending conferences and expos such as DevLearn help keep WECA at the forefront of educational technologies across all of our cutting-edge electrical and low voltage training programs.

Electrician Trainees, watch your inboxes! We're about to open a new round of Western Electrical Contractors Education Foundation (WECEF) scholarship opportunities.

These scholarships help support students in continuing their education with WECA.

Oh, the places you'll go!

Get a quality electrician education from a school like WECA, and follow the WECA General Electrician Career Tree to see all the possibilities.

Download your flyer here!

Take Advantage of SmartDollar, Your FREE Apprenticeship Benefit

When Your Family is Your Why, You Can Do Anything

Not Yet Taking Advantage of SmartDollar? Get Started Below

Content courtesy of SmartDollar

It's easy to set goals for your money--but harder to stay motivated.

That's why your why matters. And when your family is your why, you can do anything.

With SmartDollar, you get a proven plan to eliminate debt, save money, and build a better future--for you and your family.

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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