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Thursday, March 21, 2024   Spotlight on New WECA Industry Partner, Siemens


 

WECA’s new Industry Partner, Siemens, has been shaping the world we live in today for over 100 years.

“For 177 years, Siemens has played its part in shaping the world we live in today. We have turned great inventions into innovative technologies and risen to the challenges of our time, transforming everyday life for people around the world. We are now helping to change the world to create a sustainable future for generations to come. From electrified factories to revolutionizing and transforming entire industries digitally, from the first electric trains to seamless, safer, and more sustainable transportation, from the first x-ray systems to the digital age of imaging, diagnostics, and therapy…we are building the future,” says Derek Catalano, Siemens’ Senior Sales Executive for Fire Solutions.

And now, Siemens wants to bring their 177 years of experience and innovation to WECA and its Members. Today, Siemens offers myriad solutions to consumers – such as security, building automation, energy services, and fire alarm and suppression systems.

“Siemens’ solutions include installation, monitoring, and preventative maintenance and test and inspection services across all vertical markets,” says Catalano. “We distinguish our products and services from competitors through a focus on innovation, quality, sustainability, and digitalization. We also emphasize cutting-edge technology, comprehensive solutions, and a global presence, positioning ourselves as leaders in sectors like energy, healthcare, and industrial automation. Siemens places a strong emphasis on research and development, customer service, and partnerships to drive differentiation in the market.”

Siemens became a WECA Industry Partner to network with other WECA Industry Partners and with WECA Member Contractors, participate in events, and pursue possible sponsorships of those events. However, Siemens is also excited to work with WECA Members to offer their products and services at a discount on a case-by-case basis.

“WECA Members can benefit from Siemens products and services due to our reputation for quality, reliability, and innovation. Siemens offers a wide range of products and solutions for various applications, including energy distribution, building automation, industrial control, and more. By using Siemens products, WECA Members can access state-of-the-art technology, efficient solutions, and comprehensive support. This ultimately helps Members to deliver high-quality projects, improve operational efficiency, and stay competitive in the industry,” says Catalano.

WECA Members interested in working with Siemens to utilize their solutions can contact Derek Catalano, Senior Sales Executive in Fire Solutions, at 916-402-0945 or derek.catalano@siemens.com.

Thank you, Siemens, for becoming a WECA Industry Partner! We hope your extensive expertise can be leveraged into comprehensive and dynamic solutions for our members! 

Read more >>


Thursday, March 21, 2024   WECA AZ: Learn More About How WECA Encourages More Women to Join Electrical Industry

Join Heath Anderson, WECA Arizona's Outreach and Workforce Development Specialist, and NAWIC on Mar. 26 in Scottsdale from 5-7 PM

Tickets at QR Code Below

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Thursday, March 21, 2024   Sacramento-Area Members: Help Build the Future of the Sacramento Region's Electrical Workforce

Join WECA at North State Building Industry Foundation's 8th Annual Skilled Trades Job Fair on Apr. 13


 

When: Saturday, April 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Sacramento Scottish Rite Masonic Center

              6151 H Street

              Sacramento, CA 95819

What: Meet over 200 individuals seeking job opportunities in the homebuilding space

Registration is now open and spaces are filling up fast!

Register here!

Read more >>


Thursday, March 21, 2024   WECA's Open House in Celebration of Women in Construction Week 2024 a Success


 

WECA held its annual Women in Construction Week open house on Thursday, March 7 at its California headquarters and training facility in Rancho Cordova, CA.

The event drew numerous women interested in exploring career opportunities in the electrical and low voltage industries.

Diane Trotter, WECA's Workforce Development Supervisor, hosted the open house.

During the open house, Diane hosted a presentation and Q&A session for attendees before showing them around WECA's state-of-the-art labs and classrooms. During the presentation and Q&A portion of the open house, Diane was joined by Autumn Jackson, WECA Commercial and Low Voltage Apprenticeship graduate and current foreperson for Vanden Bos Electric, Amanda Young, a second-year Low Voltage apprentice, and Hershel Baser, an Apprenticeship Consultant for the Department of Industrial Relations' Division of Apprenticeship Standards.

Autumn spoke about her current role at Vanden Bos Electric and shared what she gained from her apprenticeships at WECA, while Amanda discussed her current apprenticeship experience, stating that she enjoys learning things in class that she doesn't get to learn in the field because it makes her a more well-rounded apprentice.

For the lab and classroom tour portion of the open house, Diane was joined by Jimmie Slemp, Lead Instructor and Lab Manager, and LaKeal Morris, Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship instructor. Jimmie and LaKeal performed and assisted attendees with hands-on lab demonstrations.

Thank you to everyone who attended and participated in the Women in Construction Week 2024 open house! We were thrilled to educate more women on the merits of electrical and low voltage apprenticeships and careers in California, and can't wait to see them become WECA apprentices soon!

Read more >>


Thursday, March 21, 2024   Join WECA and Cook Brown, LLP for Two-Part Webinar on Prevailing Wage; Skilled and Trained Workforce

Don't Miss Out: Registrations are Complimentary for WECA Members as a Member Benefit

?Join WECA and Cook Brown, LLP for a Two-Part Webinar Series on Prevailing Wage and Skilled and Trained Workforce

Part 1 (Prevailing Wage) on Apr. 3

Part 2 (Skilled and Trained Workforce) on Apr. 10

Join Cook Brown Partner Carrie Bushman April 3 for Part 1 of a two-part webinar series on Prevailing Wage and Skilled and Trained Workforce. Part 1 will cover Prevailing Wage, including:

  • Identifying and understanding the wage determination applicable to your project
  • Taking credit for employer-provided fringe benefits
  • Record-keeping
  • Apprenticeship compliance
  • Enforcement

Register today to join us online on April 3, from 8:30 to 11 AM, for Part 1 of this informative webinar series.

This webinar is free for WECA Member Contractors and their employees. All others are $95/registration.

Register for the April 3 webinar here!

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Join Cook Brown Partner Carrie Bushman for Part 2 of a two-part webinar series on April 10. Part 2 will focus on Skilled and Trained Workforce, where Carrie will discuss:

  • Recognizing to which types of projects Skilled and Trained Workforce requirements apply
  • Understanding apprentice graduation requirements
  • Compliance and enforcement

Register today to join us online on April 10, from 8:30 to 9:30 AM, for Part 2 of this informative webinar series.

This webinar is free for WECA Member Contractors and their employees. All others are $95/registration.

Register for the April 10 webinar here!

Read more >>


Thursday, March 21, 2024   Save the Date (June 22nd) for the Utah Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Class of 2024 Graduation

Come Celebrate Our Graduates' Hard Work and Accomplishments


 

Save the date! WECA's 2024 Commencement Ceremonies for our Utah Graduating Apprenticeship Class of 2024 will be held on June 22nd!

Please watch your inboxes for ticketing and sponsorship details as this event draws closer. We look forward to celebrating the hard work and accomplishments of our graduates!

Read more >>


Friday, March 8, 2024   WECA Members Dominate Sacramento Business Journal's Top Electrical Contractors List for 2024




 

WECA's Sacramento-area Member Contractors regularly dominate the Sacramento Business Journal's Top Electrical Contractors lists, and we've done it again in 2024! Please join us in congratulating the following WECA Member Contractors for demonstrating merit shop excellence in the Sacramento area and beyond:

 

Alessandro Electric, Inc.

Barnum & Celillo Electric, Inc.

Bosley Electric Company

Butterfield Electric Inc.

Garrahan Electric, Inc.

Helix Electric, Inc.

KS Telecom, Inc.

North State Electrical Contractors, Inc.

Rex Moore Group

Royal Electric Company

Setpoint Control, Inc.

Vasko Electric, Inc.

Read more >>


Friday, March 8, 2024   Three AZ Members Listed Among Largest PHX-Area Electrical Contractors by Phoenix Business Journal


 

Quality and quantity prevail at WECA: three of our Arizona Member Contractors were named among the largest electrical contracting companies in the Phoenix area by the Phoenix Business Journal! All three moved up in the rankings this year. Please join us in congratulating our WECA Member Contractors:

Corbins

K2 Electric

Specified Electrical Contractors (SECON)

Read more >>


Friday, March 8, 2024   Celebrating Women in Construction Week 2024

We're celebrating Women in Construction Week 2024 this week, and WECA is highlighting some of the women in our programs: Apprentices, Electrician Trainees, and an Instructor!

Video: Three Women's Journeys into WECA Apprenticeship



Video: Spotlight on WECA Commercial Electrical Apprentice Tyana LaBranch

WECA Apprentice Tyana LaBranch

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Electrician Trainee Dale Canyon


 

It was the theater that brought Electrician Trainee Dale Canyon to the electrical industry.

“I was working as the technical director of a local theater company,” says Dale. “They couldn’t afford to pay me, so I decided to make more money and expand my knowledge base as an electrician.”

As an Electrician Trainee, Dale works for WECA Member Contractor Fort Bragg Electric during the day and completes self-paced GetWired courses by night.

“I’ve been progressing through the self-paced GetWired courses online. Currently I’m finishing up GetWired 103 and looking forward to starting GetWired 104 and eventually the GetWired 200 series. Doing school and work concurrently takes a lot of discipline, but I’ve found a good rhythm,” says Dale.

Additionally, as an Electrician Trainee, Dale has enjoyed seeing her coursework and experiences on-the-job merge occasionally.

“Sometimes the course work is easily synchronized with my field work,” says Dale. “It’s pretty cool to see concepts I’m learning about come to life on-the-job.”

Speaking to being a woman in the electrical industry, Dale reports that the experience is mostly the same as that of her male coworkers, but adds that it does come with perks, both unexpected and expected.

“Nice old ladies get really excited when you show up to do their electrical work. I also enjoy the money and having an expanded skillset,” says Dale.

Dale attributes her success in the Electrician Trainee Program to myriad people.

“I’d like to shout-out to WECA Online Education Manager Galen Eckert for taking the time to answer my questions, my employer Fort Bragg Electric for giving me a shot, and to Ron Grapp for being a rockin’ mentor,” says Dale.

We are glad that you have brought your unique background and outlook on the industry to WECA’s Electrician Trainee Program, Dale, and are excited to see where it continues to take you on this journey! Break a leg!

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WECA GetWired Instructor Rika Casseres



 

In celebration of Women in Construction Week 2024, WECA is pleased to spotlight Rika Casseres, the first woman to join the WECA instructor team. 

Rika, who teaches GetWired online courses through WECA’s Electrician Trainee Program, has utilized her electrician training in myriad ways and places. After completing apprenticeships and working with Allied Contractors, Rika became an electrical engineer to learn more about the theoretical aspects of electricity.

However, Rika’s heart always remained in the “nuts and bolts of hands-on electrical installations”, so she returned to the electrical industry and eventually landed in her current position with WECA.

“My career in electricity has taken me from Hawaii to California. I enjoy the freedom and versatility that working in the trades has offered me, and I have especially enjoyed sharing my skills as an electrician with future homeowners at Habitat for Humanity. It was with Habitat for Humanity that I understood the value of electrical work in the community,” says Rika.

In her current role, Rika teaches students about the tangible, intangible, and practical concepts of electricity.

“My motivation as a WECA instructor is to make students aware of the opportunities we as electricians have to bring power to our communities and businesses,” says Rika. “As electricians, we work with a natural force that moves as fast as light, has the potential of the sun’s energy, and yet is mostly invisible – therefore, learning how to harness and use that force safely is key to our trade. On a practical level, my goal is to educate students in the areas of safety, NEC compliance, and common practices for electrical installations.”

Further, Rika says that she enjoys teaching at WECA because WECA’s GetWired online program and Electrician Trainee Program provide an accessible platform for anyone who wants to be an electrician.

“WECA’s coursework breaks down the National Electrical Code requirements, along with best installation practices, into bite-sized pieces that build on each other,” says Rika. “Anyone who is willing to show up and do the work is welcome and will succeed.”

Thank you, Rika, for bringing your robust experience and contemplative and altruistic insight to WECA and the GetWired Electrician Trainee Program! We’re thrilled to have you here!

 





 
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Friday, March 8, 2024   WECA AZ Team Introduces PHX-Area Students to WECA's Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship Program






 

The WECA Arizona team recently took advantage of a rare class-free week (thanks to Presidents' Day in February) to connect with future electricians at the WECA Phoenix Training Facility and Arizona headquarters.

Keith Smart, WECA Arizona's Apprenticeship Manager and Instructor, hosted students and teachers from Red Mountain High School in Mesa, Arizona at the facility for a tour and immersive overview of WECA Arizona's Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship program.

During the tour, Keith led the guests through a detailed explanation of the WECA Arizona Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship program and showcased the career opportunities available to apprentices through the program.

The visit was in the works for awhile -- teachers at Red Mountain High School came across WECA Arizona's Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship program at the 2023 Arizona Construction Career Days event, which WECA attended. Their interest was piqued, and they later requested a tour of the WECA Phoenix Training Facility and Arizona headquarters to introduce their students to the possibilities and career opportunities that WECA Arizona's Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship program offers apprentices.

The WECA Arizona team greatly enjoyed hosting the students and teachers from Red Mountain High School, and eagerly look forward to seeing some of the students enter WECA Arizona's Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship program someday!





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Friday, March 8, 2024   Congratulations to the Recipients of the Frank Vellutini Memorial Apprenticeship Scholarship 2024


 

In December 2023, WECEF was pleased to announce the Frank Vellutini Memorial Apprenticeship Scholarship 2024. The scholarship was created in memory of Frank Vellutini, longtime owner of Royal Electric Company and WECA member since 1971. Frank was actively involved with WECA and responsible for extraordinary contributions to WECA's growth and success for many years. Frank served on the WECA Board of Directors and the WECA Apprenticeship and Training Trust from 1992 to 2015. Royal Electric Company was one of the founding members that established the Western Electrical Contractors Education Foundation (WECEF).

It's our honor to congratulate the first WECA apprentice recipients of the Frank Vellutini Memorial Apprenticeship Scholarship 2024. Please join us in congratulating:

Moses Melgar (CA)

Garrett Shell (CA)

Andrew Holdaway (AZ)

Mark Belogub (CA)

Nicolas Craig (CA)

Devon Sprague (CA)

Damon Collins (AZ)

Joseph Discoe (UT)

Jairo Felix (CA)

Demetrios Pathammavong (CA)

Dan Larkin (CA)

James Dolinich (AZ)

Leng Vang (CA)

Giancarlos Mendoza (CA)

Paul Roberts (CA)

Corbin McBride (CA)

Read more >>


Thursday, February 22, 2024   Video Member Contractor Spotlight: Windell Pascascio of Imperial Electric Service

Please enjoy our new video release spotlighting Imperial Electric Service, a WECA Member Contractor based in Fresno and serving California's Central Valley, and its Founder and President Windell Pascascio.

Windell graduated from WECA's Commercial Electrical Apprenticeship program in 2013 and currently serves as a Trustee on the WECA Apprenticeship Training Trust Board of Trustees.

Imperial Electric Service is a growing firm specializing in commercial and residential electric. Services provided by Imperial Electric Service include remodels, solar energy, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, design-build tenant improvements, service work, facility maintenance, retrofits, site and utility work such as underground power utility infrastructure, site lighting, distribution, excavation, directional boring, and new installations.

Thank you, Windell and Imperial Electric Service, for being a WECA Member Contractor serving Fresno and the Central Valley!

Read more >>


Thursday, February 22, 2024   Women in Construction Week 2024 is March 3rd-9th!

Any Women On Your Team Considering WECA Apprenticeship?

Encourage Them to Attend WECA's Open House in Celebration of Women in Construction Week on March 7th at 3 PM




 

This March, WECA is celebrating Women in Construction Week 2024 with an Open House event at our Sacramento/Rancho Cordova training facility and California HQ.

We are inviting women considering careers as electricians or low voltage technicians to join us on March 7th at 3 p.m. to learn how to get involved in WECA's electrical apprenticeship and training programs, get a tour of WECA's training facility and labs while meeting the WECA team and networking with other women in the field, and celebrate women in the electrical workforce.

If there are women on your team considering apprenticeship with WECA, please encourage them to attend the open house. Attendees can pre-register for the event to secure their spots, though we will accept walk-ins on the day of the event. Please share with your employees, however, that pre-registration will allow them to receive event reminders and updated event information.

Your employees can register here for the Women in Construction Week 2024 Open House
 



Download a WECA WIC Week 2024 Open House flyer

Read more >>


Thursday, February 22, 2024   Focus on Safety for Spanish-Speaking Employees

WECA with Educational Partner ClickSafety Offers OSHA 10 Construction Spanish and

OSHA 30 Construction Spanish

These OSHA courses are an excellent way to help your employees receive proper training on important safety and health matters at your work sites. WECA, with educational partner ClickSafety, has a variety of safety and OSHA offerings in both English and Spanish available for your Trainees and as Continuing Education for your Journeyperson employees. (WECA Apprentices get OSHA10 and OSHA30 during their program with us.)



Learn more about OSHA 10 Construction Spanish



Learn more about OSHA 30 Construction Spanish

Read more >>


Thursday, February 8, 2024   U.S. Congressman Blake Moore (Utah 01) Visits WECA; Tours Salt Lake City Region Training Center


Left to Right: WECA Government Relations Director Rex Hime; U.S. Congressman Blake Moore (Utah 01); WECA Utah Apprenticeship Manager and Lead Instructor Talon Pobuda; and Cody Eaton of Utah Member Hunt Electric and Trustee on the WECA Apprenticeship Training Trust Board of Trustees

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U.S. Congressman Blake Moore (Utah 01) and his staff toured WECA’s Utah Training Facility on Thursday, January 25. Elected in 2021, Moore is the first-ever Republican from Utah to serve on the influential House Committee on Ways and Means.

Moore was joined by WECA’s Government Relations Director Rex Hime; Cody Eaton of Utah Member Contractor Hunt Electric and Trustee on the WECA Apprenticeship Training Trust Board of Trustees; and Utah Apprenticeship Manager and Lead Instructor Talon Pobuda, who was teaching a cohort of second-year apprentices during the visit.

Moore was impressed with WECA’s practical approach to education, with the books and the hands-on training steps away from each other. He even got to talk to some of our apprentices and learn about their favorite subjects to learn about through their classwork so far. Providing as many professional pathways as possible for his constituents is a priority, and he noticed exactly the value WECA provided in that space.

Eaton took the opportunity to explain how critical competency-based training was for workforce development in Utah. With over 90 apprentices in the program, he explained that no one can prepare Hunt Electric’s employees for the field like WECA can.

Thank you to Representative Blake Moore and his team for learning about how WECA is helping develop Utah’s workforce.














 
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Thursday, February 8, 2024   California Member Contractors: Need Electrician Trainees? Try WECA's Student Referral Service.

Current County Availability Below.


 

WECA's Student Referral Service is a free job referral service that introduces our current ET, Journeymen, and WECA Graduate job seekers to Member Contractors in order to help meet their staffing needs. At this time, WECA's student referral service is only available in California.

This service is meant to help and benefit all involved. WECA Member Contractors are referred qualified WECA-trained applicants to help meet their staffing needs. And WECA Students, Journeymen, and Graduates get valuable job referrals.

WECA Member Contractors: To receive referrals from WECA's Student Referral Service, please contact Trisha Hughes, WECA ET/CE Client Services Specialist, at thughes@goweca.com  or 1-877-444-9322.

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Count of Electrician Trainees registered with WECA's Student Referral Service and awaiting an introduction, by region, below. If you're a member contractor in one of these areas and would like a referral, please contact us today:

Fresno: 5

Los Angeles: 3

Sacramento: 6

San Diego: 5

San Joaquin County: 2

Ventura: 2

Need Electrician Trainees, but you're in a different region of California than those shown above? Just contact Trisha and let her know your needs. WECA will publicize a call for WECA students who are registered trainees in your area, but otherwise currently out of work, to sign up for SRS. We'll then provide you with appropriate incoming referrals.

Read more >>


Thursday, February 8, 2024   Pictorial: First Year, First Semester Commercial Electrical Apprentices on their First Day at WECA

Pictorial: Behind the Scenes in Arizona With a New Class of First Year, First Semester Commercial Electrical Apprentices on Their First Day at WECA











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Thursday, February 8, 2024   Pictorial: GetWired Students Have Fun; Learn New Conduit-Bending Skills in Weekend Lab

Pictorial: GetWired Students Having Fun and Learning New Conduit-Bending Skills in a Saturday Lab with Instructor James Hall

An Increasing Number of California Member Contractors Sponsor the WECA Educations of Their Electrician Trainees

















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Thursday, January 11, 2024   2024 WECA Board Election Results

Please join us in congratulating those re-elected and newly elected to the 2024 WECA Board of Directors, WECA Apprenticeship Training Trust Board of Trustees, and WECA Health and Welfare and Pension Board of Trustees!

Board of Directors (serving three-year terms except as noted):

Greg Anderson (serving one-year term)

Tim Salyers

Troy Robinson

Dru Wells

Jay Taylor

 

Apprenticeship Training Trust Board of Trustees/Apprenticeship Training Committee (serving three-year terms):

Greg Anderson

Matt Apodaca

 

Health and Welfare and Pension Board of Trustees (serving three-year terms):

Clint Alessandro

Jay Taylor

Read more >>


Thursday, January 11, 2024   11 WECA Member Contractors Make Sacramento Business Journal's Annual Top Electrical Contractors List



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Thursday, January 11, 2024   GoGreen Business: Get Financing for Your Customers with Interest Rates as Low as 0%


 

Content courtesy of: GoGreen Financing, a State of California Program

Looking for low-interest financing options with quick approvals and flexible terms? GoGreen Business Energy Financing is a State of California program offering enhanced financing through private lenders for energy upgrades. Through its Go Low Rates promotion, GoGreen Business is providing up to $10,000 per project to buy down interest rates on a wide variety of energy-saving measures.

That means you can offer your customers reduced interest rates -- as low as 0% -- on projects from $5,000 to $5 million. Rates and terms are at the discretion of the lender. What's more, participating finance companies are offering options for pre-funding and progress payments, so you don't have to operate out of pocket!

And there are no dealer fees for you or your customer to participate in GoGreen Business.

Customers must receive fuel from an investor-owned utility (PG&E, SDG&E, SCE) and meet program eligibility requirements for small/medium businesses. GoGreen Business is a utility-supported, State of California-administered financing program.

Learn more about becoming a contractor partner

Download a customer-facing flyer here.

Read more >>


Thursday, January 11, 2024   Two WECA Apprenticeship Programs Have College Credit Recommendations Renewed by NCCRS

WECA's Commercial Electrical and Residential Electrical Apprenticeship Programs' College Credit Recommendation Eligibility Renewed by National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS)


 

WECA is pleased to announce that the National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS) has renewed the Commercial Electrical and Residential Electrical Apprenticeship programs' college credit recommendation eligibility for another five years.

This renewal will continue to allow WECA Commercial Electrical and Residential Electrical Apprenticeship graduates pursuing traditional college or university degrees after their apprenticeship to petition to receive college credits for the programs they have completed at WECA.

In their report assessing the Commercial Electrical and Residential Electrical Apprenticeship programs' continued eligibility for college credit recommendations, NCCRS' evaluation team members commented that course materials are excellent, comprehensive, and well-laid-out; course learning objectives are clear; and instructors are well-qualified.

(WECA's Low Voltage Apprenticeship program is similarly recommended for college credits, but is evaluated on a different cycle than our Commercial and Residential programs.)

Learn more about how Commercial, Residential, and Low Voltage Electrical Apprenticeship WECA Grads Can Seek College Credits for Program Completion

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Thursday, January 11, 2024   WECA California Members: Access Free Prevailing Wage/Labor Compliance Webinars in 2024 Below

The WECA team regularly monitors the schedule and availability of compliance training for our Members. Though the California Department of Industrial Relations (CA DIR)'s website has not yet posted information for 2024, we want to apprise our Members of upcoming Prevailing Wage/Labor Compliance webinars for 2024 that we have located on the website of the Foundation for Fair Contracting. This is typically the organization that CA DIR has used for public works training and our review of their website shows their 2024 schedule was posted in partnership with the Labor Commissioner's Office.

WECA Members may wish to explore and sign up for these free trainings before they fill up.

Read more >>


Thursday, January 11, 2024   CA Labor Commissioner's Office Reminds Employers about Expansion of Paid Sick Leave in 2024


 

Content courtesy of: California Labor Commissioner's Office

The California Labor Commissioner's Office (LCO) is reminding employers that California's paid sick leave law has been expanded starting on January 1, 2024. Employers must allow workers to use at least 40 hours or five days of paid sick leave per year, an increase from the current 24 hours or three days. Some cities or regions in California may require employers to provide additional sick leave.

The LCO has created an informational Paid Sick Leave factsheet that explains how workers qualify and can use paid sick leave. The fact sheet is also available in Spanish. For more details, review the Paid Sick Leave Frequently Asked Questions.

Read more >>


Thursday, January 11, 2024   Employee or Independent Contractor Classification Under the Fair Labor Standards Act


 

Content courtesy of: U.S. Department of Labor

Today, the U.S. Department of Labor announced the issuance of a final rule to help employers and workers analyze whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The announcement follows a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on October 13, 2022, which led to thousands of comments from a diverse array of stakeholders that helped inform the regulatory updates.

The final rule, Employee or Independent Contractor Classification Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, provides guidance on whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor under the FLSA. Misclassification is a serious issue that denies employees’ rights and protections under federal labor laws and hurts the economy at-large. The Department believes this final rule will protect workers from misclassification, while at the same time providing a consistent approach for those businesses that engage (or wish to engage) with independent contractors.

It is the Department’s obligation to administer and enforce the FLSA to ensure that workers who should be covered under the Act are properly classified as employees. This final rule ensures that such workers receive the FLSA’s wage and hour protections, and that employers that comply with the law are not placed at a competitive disadvantage when competing against employers that misclassify employees. The final rule also aligns the department’s approach with longstanding judicial precedent, which will reduce confusion, improve compliance, and better protect working people.

Specifically, the final rule does the following:  

  • Restores the multifactor, totality-of-the-circumstances analysis to assess whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor under the FLSA. 
  • Ensures that all factors are analyzed without assigning a predetermined weight to a particular factor or set of factors. 
  • Uses the longstanding interpretation of the economic reality factors. These factors include opportunity for profit or loss depending on managerial skill, investments by the worker and the potential employer, the degree of permanence of the work relationship, the nature and degree of control, the extent to which the work performed is an integral part of the potential employer’s business, and the worker’s skill and initiative. 
  • Rescinds the 2021 Independent Contractor Rule.

For more information, please visit: Employee or Independent Contractor Classification Under the Fair Labor Standards Act

Read more >>


WECA Board of Directors, Apprenticeship Training Trust Board of Trustees Meetings
Start Date/Time: Thursday, October 10, 2019 9:00 AM
End Date/Time: Thursday, October 10, 2019 12:00 PM
Recurring Event: Recurring Event On the Second Thursday of the month until 12/10/2020 (total 31 events)
Importance: Normal Priority
Category:
Board of Directors/ATC Combined Meeting
Location: WECA Conference Room- HQ/Sacramento
Description:
Owned by host On Thursday, May 17, 2018